Trials and Tribulation
by Eviefan
Summary: Continues T&C. This story is considerably darker than the last one. Lex Targets Jason with a deadly strain. Is also a look at how through the Trials this family pulls together. Read and Review, please do that. Completed.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Superman Returns and the characters there in belong to DC Comics and the idea for the new movie to Bryan Singer. I claim nothing accept for the idea to my story so without further to do here we go.

**Summary: **Just when life for Lois Clark and Jason finally starts to come together, Lex Luthor's plan threatens to destroy everything. Can the help from an unlikely source help the family survive the trials of life? Find out and Review please.

**AN:** This is a continuation of Truths and Changes. I took a much darker tone with this story and some might find it a little depressing. There is a lot that goes on with Jason as part of Lex Luthor's plan to get rid of him and in these first few chapters a lot dealing with the cult and suggestions of abuse. If any of that bothers you, then you may feel better reading some of my other works. Also please leave a review or Comment. They truly help me.

**Trials and Tribulation**

**Prologue: A troubled City**

The past few weeks passed by in a busy blur. Lex Luthor was still at large, and more bodies of young children had been found down by the pier on the east side. At work, Perry had everyone focused on the big story at hand, which was the involvement of the Cult in their day to day lives. City-wide, parents of young children were panicked, and were keeping an alert eye on the young ones in their care.

During her investigation, Lois found that the bodies of the children were not of those native to Metropolis, but were rather on a grander scale of distribution. She had already arranged an interview with an Agent Jones of the FBI, and was more determined than ever to find out what was going on in the city she had grown to love.

Also covering the deaths of the children was Clark, but his involvement was more on the side of Superman, trying to find those responsible and bring them to justice. He was out of the office so much, that he was thankful of Lois's help in covering for him. Along with the woman he loved, he was also bringing in the news with nightly articles covering the efforts of the FBI and the local police force.

They put in long hours during the day, and by the time they arrived home in the evening there was little time to spend just for the two of them. Jason was back at school, and was having an easier time now that Randy and Phillip were looking out for him. Once school let out, either Lois or Clark would get him and take him back to work where he would play quietly in his daddy's old office so they could continue to report the news. Jason was blissfully unaware of what was going on in his city, though he had noticed how busy his parents were, but that didn't worry him.

**Chapter 1: A Promise**

How Clark had managed to find a sitter on such short notice was beyond her, but promptly at 6pm, the door bell rang, and Lois smiled as she heard Jason yelling that he would get it. Life had been so busy and hectic that she had forgotten what it was like to spend time with the man she loved, and despite the fact that she had several leads to catch up on; Lois was looking forward to this date with him.

After getting the door unlocked, Jason opened it and smiled up at Jimmy as he took his hand and pulled him inside. "Did you bring it with you?" the little boy asked.

Jimmy had never been one to baby-sit, but when Mr. Kent asked him if he would watch Jason he took a chance and hoped that he would do all right. "I brought it," replied the young photographer, as he showed Jason the display case his game cube was in. "Oh hi, Mr. Kent," Jimmy said, as Clark entered the family room from the kitchen. "I hope you don't mind if I set this up. I promise it won't mess up your TV," he added.

Clark had just finished cleaning up the mess Lucky had made in the kitchen and still needed a shower and also to change before he and Lois left for their night out. "I don't think that will be a problem Jim, just be sure not to let him play those games all night," he replied, in a squeaky voice. Clark was well aware that Lois wasn't fond of Jason spending a bunch of time in front of the TV.

Once Jimmy and Jason were settled, Clark went into the bedroom finding Lois nearly ready for their night out. They were going to dinner and a movie, and he was looking forward to spending time with Lois. She looked beautiful as always, but Clark managed to keep his mind on getting ready and after a brief kiss to her, he shut the door and started his shower.

Playing Sonic the Hedge Hog was exciting, and Jason had quickly managed to figure out that he needed most of the rings to get to the special ring level. He and Jimmy were taking turns, and so far his turn was lasting much longer than Jimmy's. "Come on guy," Jason muttered, as he tried to get Sonic to drill through the wall. When the little Hedge Hog complied with his wishes Jason whooped with joy.

In their bedroom, Lois heard her son's whoop and after dabbing on some perfume she walked out into the family room finding Jason playing a video game with Jimmy seated next to looking bored. "You've started a dangerous game with him," she said, softly as Jimmy looked at her. "I'm not sure you're going to get much game time in." Lois knew how much her son loved video games. The few times they had gone to The General's, Sam had introduced Jason to a war game on his PC, one Lois didn't approve of, which was always the case with her father, and Jason had picked up on it very quickly leaving little time for his Grandpa to play with him.

"I figured this could be fun for both of us," Jimmy admitted, as Jason cleared through the first level. He was starting to realize he had made a mistake and went over to the sofa where he took his portable game unit out of his duffle.

By the time they were ready to leave, Jimmy was trying to beat his way through the first level with Jason cheering him on. Neither Jimmy nor Jason had noticed them leave, and when they got out to the car, Lois found herself in Mr. Kent's arms. They shared a fleeting kiss before he opened the door to her side and then shut it once she was in the car.

* * *

With Jason finally in bed, Jimmy flipped on the TV after putting his game cube back in its case. There was a news broadcast about another fire in the east docks, and Jimmy wished he could go down and get pictures. He wondered if Lois and Clark were already down there to cover the story, and silently cheered when Superman arrived to put out the flames. As the broadcast ended, Jimmy looked past the TV as Jason walked in crying. "Hey, little guy, what's wrong?" he asked, as he went over to the little boy.

"I had a bad dream," Jason said, as he let Jimmy hold him.

"Do you remember what it was about?" asked Jimmy, as he rubbed his hand over Jason's small back. He felt Jason's head shaking no, and stood up carrying him back to his room. After getting Jason back to bed, Jimmy sat down on the edge looking down at his small friend. "Okay, now we have to think about something really funny so that you will dream about that instead," Jimmy told the little boy, seeing a smile form on his little face.

"I remember a time when mommy and me made chocolaty pancakes and she spilled the flour all over the floor," he said, as he laughed. "How do I dream about that?"

"Well you remember what that was like right?" When Jason nodded his head, Jimmy continued. "Close your eyes and remember it, and just think about that and when you go to sleep you should have good dreams," said Jimmy, hoping that would work. With Jason settled again, Jimmy went back into the family room and put in a movie.

* * *

Their dinner had been interrupted by the fires, but now as they sat in the theater all was well. Lois leaned in against Clark, more interested in his company than she was in the movie. It was an Epic film about the Trojan War, but she had never found those types of movies, or for that matter, any films all that interesting.

Clark could tell Lois wasn't interested in the movie and, finally, he whispered in her ear suggesting that they could leave if she wanted to. When they got outside it was still relatively early in the evening, so they drove down to the pier on the west side, the safer area to be, and walked down by the waterside.

As they sat down on a bench near the water, Lois could tell he was nervous about something. When he sat down next to her and handed her a box she took a deep breath and let it out. She opened it up and found a simple yet beautiful engagement ring inside. At once everything came to the surface. Her hands trembled but stopped when he took them in his.

"Lois, I know how hard life has been for you since I came back, and I don't want to hurt you or Jason, but I do want to spend my life with you. I can't offer you quite the stable life I would like, but I want to try if you will let me," he said, as he gazed into her brown eyes. He saw them tear up, and when she nodded her head, he took the ring out of the box and put it on her finger. After it was placed there Clark put his left hand on her cheek and leaned in to kiss her. "I promise to take care of both of you to the best of my ability, and I promise to keep you both safe," he whispered. They shared a long hug and he wasn't surprised to find her crying in his arms. He knew she was thinking of Richard and he couldn't find anything wrong with that.

"All of this frightens me, because I thought we would have a normal life with Richard. If you wouldn't have returned, both of us would be dead, and I don't know what would have become of Jason," she admitted.

It was late when they arrived home and Lois was emotionally spent. She wanted to be with him for the rest of her life, but she was afraid now more than she had ever been that somehow all of it would just be some dream and she would wake up one day alone.

* * *

The next morning as they were eating breakfast, Jason, who was always observant, noticed the ring on his mommy's finger. As he looked at it he remembered the ring his other daddy had given to her, but this one wasn't the same. "Mommy, where did you get that?" he asked, as he finished off another pancake. Today Simon was coming over for playtime, and Jason was ready for his friend to be with him.

Lois had nearly forgotten about her ring and as Clark came over to the table she looked at him and then to her son. "Jason, do you remember the ring your other Richard gave to me?" she asked, and when he nodded his head she continued. "Well, this ring is the one that Clark gave to me," she said, taking Clark's hand. "It is a promise to me that when it is the right time we will be married. " Lois watched her son as he took that information in.

But why didn't you and Daddy, Daddy Richard, get married? You had that ring from him for such a long time but you didn't marry him. Why?" he asked, feeling suddenly confused about the whole thing. When she asked him to come over to her side, he did, and when she settled him on her lap, Jason rested his right cheek against her chest holding her hand with the ring on it so that he could look at it.

"As much as I loved your Daddy Richard, I wasn't ready to be married," tried to explain, knowing that she would have to wait until Jason was much older before he heard all of the truth.

Jason didn't understand and asked to be put down. When he was on his feet, he ran to the door, put on his coat all by himself and went outside, chasing after Lucky. He understood his puppy because she was easy. All she wanted from him was a pat on the bottom or a hug, and never much more than that.

From inside Lois and Clark watched Jason, a moment before Clark took his eyes away from his son to look at his fiancé. "Do you think maybe we should wait?" he asked, unsure of how to approach this now.

The first time Lois had waited for five years, but that had been different, there had been a reason to wait, and now there was none. "Not for five years, but maybe for a while until things in our lives settle down. Well if you don't mind I want to try and run into work and write out a draft of Monday's article," said Lois, as she stood up. Clark stood up with her and they hugged, and when he held her in his arms she felt safe and sure of herself once more.

* * *

On Saturdays the office was relatively quiet. Perry was always there even on Sundays and after sticking her head in his office to give him an update, Lois settled at her desk and powered up her computer. As it came on line, for the first time, Lois realized her screen saver still had the picture of Richard and Jason at the pier eating ice cream, seated on a bench. The part of her life which included him was coming to a close, and there was pain in her heart because of that. Lois knew she couldn't change what had happened, and she didn't regret their involvement, but she did regret how much their lives had changed when Superman arrived.

She had always loved Superman. He had been her first real love, and she had never quite gotten over him. Now that her life with him was shaping into a real life, she was unsure, but she didn't know why. Lois reached out and touched the screen. "I'm sorry Richard," she said, in a soft voice. Lois got into her photo manager and found a picture of Jason at Martha's the moment he opened the package with Lucky inside and put that up as her screen saver.

After a few more moments of quiet reflection, Lois dialed the FBI and asked for Agent Jones to see if there was any news on the bodies found by the east docks. "So they think there is a connection with the children being mostly girls?" Lois asked, as she jotted down notes on her pad of paper. "No we won't print anything until you are sure – right - just call me if anything new should surface. Thanks." Lois hung up the phone and began to compile her notes and now that she was busy she found that work had a calming affect on her.

* * *

On the home front, Jason and Simon were playing a game of cowboys and Indians. Simon had brought two outfits with him, and while he wore the markings of a chief, Jason had on a small red hat with strings that drew up against his chin and a brown leather vest. He whooped and hollered as he chased Simon around the yard. "Halt or I'll rope you with my trusty lasso," Jason called out, trying to use a deep voice as he took the small rope and tossed it at Simon. As he threw it out, Lucky ran over and grabbed the free end. "Lucky no, that's not for you," whined Jason, trying to get it from her.

Simon stopped to watch, laughing as Lucky almost pulled Jason down.

"Bad girl," Jason yelled as he put the rope down and ran to the side of the yard where he found a stick. He ran after her and caught up to her as she began to dig into the rope. "Bad dog," he said again, as he lifted the stick to hit her over the head with it. Just as he was about to bring it down, hard on her head, the stick was taken out of his hand and he found himself looking into the eyes of his father.

Clark had been inside on the phone with Lois when he heard Jason tell Lucky she was being bad, and by the time he got to the door he found Jason about to hit the dog over the head with a large stick. Now he stood in front of his little boy gazing at him with a very disapproving stare. "What just happened, Jason?"

Jason could tell by the way his daddy was looking at him, and by the deep tone of his voice, that he was in trouble. "She got our rope and I was mad at her," he huffed, as he crossed his arms in front of his chest trying to be brave. With Simon watching them, Jason didn't want his friend to think he was a baby.

Clark knew that Simon was watching and turned to the little boy. "Simon do you mind going inside to wait for Jason in his room?" he asked. Simon agreed to do that and when he went into the house Clark turned back to Jason. "I know you were mad at her, but do you think it is right to hit her with a stick?" He asked patiently, waiting for Jason to realize his mistake.

As he thought about that Lucky came over and licked his hands. "She's so bad sometimes, and she has to know that I'm her boss!" exclaimed Jason, in his defense. He watched as his daddy stood up and followed him into the house. When he saw him put a chair in the corner, Jason sighed. "I hate time out and Simons here. Mommy wouldn't make me do that," he said, using a very grumpy tone with his daddy.

Clark finished putting the chair in the corner, remembering when he was a small boy, and the few times his own mother had made him spend time in one. "I think that you need time to think about what almost happened outside, and Jason, that isn't up for debate," Clark replied gently, as he led his son over to the chair. When Jason didn't move Clark lifted him up and sat him down. "Stay put," said Clark in a more authoritative tone. Once he was sure Jason was going to stay in the chair, Clark went back to tell Simon that Jason would be a few minutes.

* * *

It was close to supper by the time Lois arrived home, and when she entered the house she expected to find two wild little boys running around, but instead she found the house to be a very quiet place. After putting her purse and her briefcase down on the sofa just to the left of the door, Lois walked down the hall to Jason's room and found the door shut. As she was about to go in she felt Clark's hand on her shoulder. "Are they in bed already?" She asked, surprised by that.

"No. I sent Simon home with his mother."

Lois followed him into their room waiting for the rest, and watched as he began to pace. "Clark," she said

"He tried to hit Lucky with a stick, that time you and I were on the phone. I thought we resolved the problem and he promised not to be mean to her, but while I was in the back getting things ready for Simon, I heard her yelp and found Jason with the stick in his hand again. He promised me he didn't do anything, but Simon said that he hit her on the backside with it when she tried to pull off the Indian head dress he was wearing."

Lois could hardly believe what she was hearing, because Jason had never blatantly disobeyed anyone, accept for Lucy. "Is that why he is in bed?" she asked, wanting to go have few words with him.

"Yes. I called Simon's mom and sent him home with her, and when he left Jason told me I was the worst daddy he ever had," Clark told her, as he sighed and sat down on the edge of their bed. When she sat down next to him and wrapped her arms around him he drew in the comfort of her touch.

"I can't always make up excuses for him but you did the right thing. He may be trying to see how far he can push things with you and it seems like you know what you're doing," Lois said, trying to ease his guilt. They both heard Jason's door open, and a moment later he walked in with a tear stained face.

Clark knelt down on the floor and his son came willingly into his arms.

"I'm sorry I was mad today daddy. Is Lucky mad at me? Because she's not in my bed," he informed his dad, sniffing. Behind Jason, the growing pup entered the room and put her nose on his back making him laugh.

"Do you understand why I sent Simon home?" Asked Clark, as Jason hugged him once more.

"I hurt Lucky when you said no, but she made me mad," Jason whispered.

Clark held his son out so they could see one another. "Even if she makes you mad, you have to realize that she doesn't understand, and you have to teach her what is right and what is wrong," he explained, as he kissed both of Jason's cheeks.

Jason sighed. "Do I still have to go to bed?" he asked, and pouted when both of his parents said yes.

* * *

The sun shining in from his window warmed his body, and as Jason opened his eyes he smiled and gave Lucky a rub on her head. "I'm sorry I hit you. Daddy said that you didn't know I was mad at you." His puppy opened up her big brown eyes to look at him. Jason giggled as she snuggled up to him and began to lick his face. "You need to get your teeth brushed," he said, and wondered if he could do that.

As he still pondered whether or not Lucky could have her teeth brushed Jason sat up in his bed and rubbed his eyes. Afterward he slipped out of bed and walked across the room to his partially open door. He opened it enough to get out and padded down the hall to the right and arrived in the family room. No one was there or even in the kitchen, so Jason climbed up in his dad's big brown easy chair and turned on the TV. The volume was on low, and as he clicked the channel to the Cartoon Network, Lucky whined from within the Kitchen.

While Jason took care of his puppy, Clark opened his eyes finding Lois resting with her back pressed up against his chest. He could clearly hear Jason opening the back door to let Lucky out and for a few minutes he listened as his little boy sat watching TV. While he was listening, Clark heard a familiar wheeze, and without waking Lois, he got up from their bed. After getting Jason's inhaler off of his bedside table, Clark left the comfort of the bedroom he and Lois shared, and went to take care of their little boy.

Jonny Quest was really neat because he was smart and he and his friends could go inside the VR world and do almost anything. As Jason watched Jonny battling a bad guy, he wasn't aware that his daddy had entered the room, until Clark was standing in front of him. "Daddy, Jonny's going to get it this time!" Jason exclaimed. He was very excited. As a result his breathing was becoming labored, but Jason didn't pay any attention. When his daddy put his inhaler on his lap, Jason didn't miss a beat. He popped the lid off and let out all of the air in his lungs and then he put it in his mouth and inhaled while pushing down the canister. After that Jason held his breath for as long as he could and let it out, keeping his eyes glued to the TV. "Yeah, he did it," Jason said, as he coughed a little.

Clark chuckled as he gave Jason a kiss and stood up to go let Lucky inside. Jason was probably one of the only children on the planet who thought Jonny Quest was better than Superman, but that didn't bother Clark. His son knew the truth and knew that he wasn't bigger than life. Jason had taken everything with stride, well to some extent, excluding yesterday. As he opened the door he reached out and grabbed onto Lucky's collar. "Not so fast," he said to the puppy who was already up to 15 pounds. He led her over to the washer and grabbed an old towel and then got her to sit while he wiped the water from her fur. It was sprinkling again outside and as he finished he heard the distant rumble of an explosion.

* * *

By lunch Jason and Lois had seen where Superman had gone off too, and both of them sat watching the TV as he helped in the efforts to rescue the 12 miners stuck in a coal mine just outside of a small town in West Virginia.

"Mommy, what if the mountain caves in while daddy is in it?" Jason asked, as he tilted his head back until he could see her face. He was seated on her lap still in his red pajamas, concerned for his daddy.

Lois realized then that watching live footage of the rescue efforts likely wasn't such a good idea. She knew even if the mountain caved in, Superman would be safe, but his son didn't need to have such worries. "Why don't we see what's on your cartoon channel," Lois suggested, not getting a word of protest as she found it. Jonny Quest was still on, though this time the older version, something Jason still loved, and as Lois set the remote down she leaned back in Clark's recliner enjoying quiet time with her little boy.

Lois had just shut her eyes when the chirp of the phone caught her attention and before she could get it Jason did and put it to his ear. She smiled as he properly answered it.

"Hello this is the Kent Residence, Jason speaking," he said. He smiled as he heard the other voice. "Hi Granny, mommy and me are watching Jonny Quest, do you know about him?"

Martha had called to make sure her son was all right, the miners had all been rescued and she saw Superman flying off, but now she couldn't resist speaking to her grandson. "Well hello there Jason, don't you sound all grown up. I don't believe I know about him, will you tell me please."

A wide smile spread across Jason's face and as he told Martha about Jonny, he played with his mommy's engagement ring. "There are two of them," he explained, as his daddy walked into the room. His mommy stood up and put him in the chair and Jason continued to talk even when they kissed. "Yeah the older ones were when mommy was little and she said that sometimes she and my Aunt Lucy had to sneak and watch them because the General said that TV is a waste of good time, but he's not right. I know about computers because when I get bigger I'm going to be like Jonny and find a way to go inside them." Jason stated.

After kissing the woman he loved, Superman asked who their son was talking to not wanting to listen in. Lois told him she thought it was his mother, and in a blur of color Clark changed into sweat pants and a old shirt.

"Granny, guess what else," Jason said, and began to giggle as his daddy nibbled on his toes. "Lucky weighs 15 pounds now," he informed his granny, pulling his feet up in an effort to keep his daddy from nibbling them. He laughed when Clark began to tickle various spots around his belly. "Daddy wants you now," told her, and gave the phone to him as he slid off the recliner.

"Hi mom," said Clark, as he took Jason's place.

* * *

Monday mornings were always the worst, not only because it meant the beginning of a long week, but also because it was the end to a quiet weekend, well as quiet as it could get for Superman and his family. As he stood watching his son sleep, he thought about what he had gained, and there were times when he wondered if it would all come to an end. Even though he was helping to find out why children's bodies were being found down at the east docks, and also keeping up as best he could with the rest of the world, Superman had not forgotten what Lex Luthor knew or what had happened to Jason before Lois moved in with him. They had not heard anything from him for nearly a month and he knew that it was just a matter of time before it all came crashing in. As he knelt down by Jason's bed, he remembered the promise he made to himself about keeping Lois and their son safe, and there were times when he didn't know if that were possible. Superman knew that if anything happened to either of them it would destroy him, and that was why he knew above all else he had to keep both of them protected.

He heard Lois's alarm go off and leaned in kissing the top of Jason's head. Before he had come into his son's room, he had found another child's body down by the docks, and after waiting for the coroner to arrive, he came straight here, needing to see the reality of his son before his eyes.

Jason stirred in his bed but he was so comfortable where he was, snuggled up with Lucky under the covers that he didn't want to wake up. He felt someone rubbing his back, and he knew it was another day for school, but he wanted to stay home. Yesterday had been so much fun after daddy got back. Despite his mother's protests they had wrestled on the floor, and Jason had enjoyed that. Even as young as he was he knew his parents would be busy all week and there were times when he wished there wasn't such a thing as work. "I want to stay in bed with Lucky," Jason mumbled, as he felt the blankets pulled back. Lucky began to move and Jason tried to hold her but she left his bed. "You made her leave," he whined, as he rolled over and found his daddy there wearing his Superman uniform.

Finding Jason grumpy on Monday mornings was something The Man of Steel had come to expect. "I know, but your mommy and I have work, and you have school today," he replied, as Jason pouted.

"I don't want to go to school. I'll stay in bed with Lucky, she will keep me safe," Jason told his father, as his lips drew down making a very pitiful face. He looked past his father as his mommy entered the room. "Mommy, Daddy let Lucky get away and I want to stay here with her." He sniffed and wiped at a tear that came down his left cheek.

As Superman made his way out of the room, Lois took his place by Jason's bed kissing his cheeks until she made him laugh. She knew her love was still learning the tricks of the trade and after she tickled Jason out of his bad mood he helped her pick out what he wanted to wear to his school.

* * *

While his parents worked at the _Planet_, Jason made up his mind that he needed someone to confide in like Jonny did with Jessie and Hadji, and the only person he trusted completely and without a doubt was his best friend Rebecca. At recess he had managed to sneak a piece of paper and pencil out to the playground and now the two of them sat in the tunnel, a piece of concrete piping placed just on the edge of the playground where the kids could climb or hide.

Rebecca sat next to Jason watching him as he carefully wrote something on the paper, and when he put it in her hands he had his finger on his mouth, shaking his head. She looked at it and it read '**Superman is my dad'. **Her blue eyes grew very big and when she looked at Jason, he was nodding his head. He took the paper and ripped it up and then shoved it in the pockets of his blue jeans.

"Really?" she asked, in a whispered voice.

"Have to keep it secret," he said softly, wondering if his daddy would find out. He wondered what would happen, but he was glad he finally had someone he could talk to. "We gotta make up code like Jonny and Jessie sometimes does. I think The Big S will work," he declared, and she smiled at him.

Before Rebecca could respond to him, the whistle blew, and she and Jason climbed out of the tunnel and ran to be with their class. She knew he wasn't lying because he wasn't one to come up with such tales and because a while back she remembered the picture and it sort of made sense to her now.

* * *

While Jason and Rebecca were talking about a secret that she had no business knowing, Superman was half way across the world helping to build an orphanage in London. Not all of his work involved disasters and it was times like these that made him realize that maybe there was hope for humanity.

* * *

**AN:** _Thanks goes out to Mr. Firenze for the Beta on this chapter. Hit the Review button and leave me a few words. Please.._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: A Tear For all the Lost Children**

The wall looked the same as it had the last time he was here, and as the tears rolled down his face, Jason didn't try to wipe them away. He was mad, really mad and he didn't want to talk to his daddy or even his mommy because she agreed with him. When his movie had finished, he had wanted to watch another one, and when his mom told him that it was time for him to brush his teeth to get ready for bed, Jason had remained in the recliner, and had even flipped the channel. That's when his daddy turned off the TV. Jason had gotten really mad and the remote had flown out of his hands, and would in all probability have broken had it hit the wall, but his daddy caught it, and now he was in the corner chair. He felt his nose running and sniffed until he thought it wasn't going to get out on his face, and then he balled up his fist and let out a deep breath.

In the family room, Lois sat on the Navy Blue sofa looking at Clark as he sat in the recliner. She had been shocked by Jason's outburst, so much so that she had just stood there while Clark took care of things, putting Jason in the corner chair. "I don't know what to say," she finally said.

He knew this had been building up because the past three nights he had to leave just before Jason was ready to go to bed, and his son's resentment toward him had been growing. Now he felt guilty more so than angry at Jason's actions, and knew that he and his son needed time to talk. When Lois spoke he looked at her and his expression softened. "You don't need to say anything Lois, he was mad at me, and I didn't take time to try and explain why I needed to leave him before he was ready for me, too."

"That doesn't change the fact that he threw that remote," she said, not willing to let him take the blame for Jason's actions.

"No, it doesn't, and I think he's stewed long enough," Clark said, as he stood up. He walked into the kitchen and when he knelt by the chair Jason turned away from him. "That's enough," he said, in a gentle but very firm manner.

"I don't want to talk to you, I want mommy," he said, softly. Jason didn't resist as he was lifted off of the chair and when he was finally held in his father's strong arms his anger began to melt away. "You didn't say goodnight last night or the other nights either," he said, as he rested his cheek against his father's strong shoulder.

Part of what Clark had to get used to was finding balance between his obligations to the world and his responsibilities to his son and Lois. "Jason, I had to go when I did," he said, as he sat down on the floor holding Jason close.

"But why?" he asked, as he yawned.

"Because, on all three accounts, had I not left, people would have been hurt, more than they were already in each situation," he said, knowing that his little boy still didn't understand. Jason was such a smart bright child, and Clark knew he was asking a lot of his son to try and accept sharing him with the world.

Jason thought over what his daddy said and it made him feel sad. "But you're my daddy, and I need you more than them," he said, as he felt his dad stand up. Jason shut his eyes on the walk back to his bedroom, and when his daddy leaned over to lay him down on his bed, he held on. "Hold me till I go all the way to sleep," he said, keeping his eyes closed. It had been a long day for him, and he was tired.

As he sat gently rocking Jason, Clark didn't hear any cries of distress or anything that would make him have to leave, and even if there would have been, he would have stayed. It wasn't long before Jason's arms loosened from around his neck and carefully Clark turned to his left and leaned over putting Jason down on the soft mattress. As he stood up, Lois walked in and he watched as she pulled the quilt his mom had made over Jason's small body.

Once Lois had given him a kiss, Clark did the same and then the two of them walked to their room leaving the door to Jason's room open just a small amount.

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Seated on the edge of the bed, Lois brushed out her long hair, still amazed at how well Clark was coping with being a parent. He had exhibited little doubt with what he was doing, and watching him as he sat with Jason in his room made her long for something, but she wasn't quite sure what. As she flipped her head back she found him dressed for bed, watching her. "I didn't realize you would find me brushing my hair so interesting," she teased. When he walked over to the bed and sat beside her Lois tossed the brush onto the floor and leaned into his inviting embrace. "How did you know how to do all of that?" she asked, always curious.

He thought about that, and thought of his own parents. Martha and Jonathan had been great parents, always kind and never cross, and that as well as what he had learned from the crystals gave him a basic understanding of most things. Having his own child angry with him had not been something he had been prepared to handle, but when it happened he knew he had to get Jason under control and just did it. "I don't know that I can explain it. I have to control my anger at times at the things I see, and seeing Jason lose control, I knew I had to help him calm down," he said.

All of this made her think back to the ship, but that time had been different. Jason hadn't been angry, but rather terribly afraid, and for that reason his powers gave him the ability to save her life. "Is there a way we can keep him from losing control," she asked, worried about her baby.

Clark held her close and leaned his head to the side, kissing her left cheek. "Not always, he will have to learn to cope with it as I have, and I know that sounds like a poor plan, but until he is old enough to understand his emotions, there isn't much we can do, though I've been thinking that it may be time to take him to the Fortress," he said.

There was something in his voice and Lois suddenly realized what that implied. "You mean without me?" she asked, not sure whether to agree or be offended.

He moved away from her and then stepped in front of her and knelt down. "Lois the part of Jason that is most like me, the powers he is exhibiting, and his Kryptonian side, are things that I feel I need to address on my own," he said, as he tried to take her hands.

Now she knew she didn't agree and looked coldly at him. "You're right, he is like you, but he is also a little boy, and I'm not ready to let you fly half way around the world with him to consult the Crystals," she said, as she stood up and walked past him. Lois walked to the bathroom door and leaned her head against the frame, knowing that he was right but she was afraid for him, for both of them.

Her words stung, but Clark knew she hadn't meant them. "Maybe this is something to talk about at a later time," he finally said as he stood up and walked over his side of the bed. He slid under the covers facing away from her, and after about a minute, he felt her slide into bed behind him and heard her whispered apology.

When he held her in his arms, and her right cheek was resting on the left side of his chest, Lois sighed. "He's my baby," she finally said, as he turned out the light.

Clark placed his hand against the back of her head and held her closer. "He's my baby, too," he said, without any hate or anger in his voice.

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While the city slept, two burley men carried a burlap sack down the pier to a dumpster. They lifted the sack up and dumped its contents inside before they walked back up the pier and disappeared into a shack. Neither man realized that one of the little girls was still alive, lying among the foul smelling garbage. The small, badly burned, four year old began to cry.

By the time Lois entered the news room, with Jason holding her left hand, everyone was talking about the little girl Superman found in the dumpster. Lois made a beeline for Richard's old office and shut the door behind her and Jason as she led him to the desk. After putting his things down, she knelt down and helped him with his coat. "Jason, today it is very, very important that you stay inside here," she said, as she ran her fingers through his hair to get it to lie down.

When he woke up, his daddy wasn't home, and Jason had been really upset, not angry this time, just really sad. His school was out for an in service and he had been glad he didn't have to go there today. "Mommy, why is everyone so sad and mad?" he asked.

Lois could tell he was worried and hugged him close. "There was a little girl that Superman found, she was hurt, and that's why everyone is upset," Lois said, not willing to give him any more of an answer. "Stay here. I'll go get you some donuts."

Jason watched her leave and after she was gone, the smart little boy realized that today if he left the office he would likely get a swat on his backside. Now alone in the office, Jason got into his back pack and pulled out his little CD player and speakers that went with it. He took out the CD mix his Aunt Lucy made for him and the first song was **'A Spoon Full'** of Sugar from Mary Poppins. Once he had his music playing softly, Jason got out his cars and started playing.

The little girl's identity was still a mystery, as was how she survived such a terrible ordeal. The press wasn't supposed to know about her, but someone from the Star got wind of her and now it was history being made. Lois sat at her desk absently looking over at Clark's desk, even though she knew he was likely not going to be there all day. The press had mobbed the hospital, and he was there keeping the child safe along with the police. The fear was that now with her story all over the news, whoever had taken her would be back to finish what they had started.

"Lois, in my office," she heard the chief say. Lois waved at Jason before she walked into his office glad for once that he had listened.

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When her brown eyes opened, despite all the pain medication she was on, she found him there watching over her. "You are Superman," she whispered, softly. The little girl watched as he walked over to her bed and when he took her hand she felt safe. "Bad ones hurted me," she said, softly.

His heart constricted in pain, and anger over what had been done to this little girl and as he held her hand, he thought of Jason and then had to push his son out of his mind. "Will you tell me your name?" he asked.

"Lilly," she said, and made a face as she felt her whole body began to hurt.

"Lilly, that is a very pretty name," he said, seeing her face contort in pain. Her face was the only part of her body that wasn't burned, and the doctors told him that there wasn't much of a chance for her to survive this.

His voice was soothing like her daddy's had been. "Will I die?" she asked, softly. She saw his face and knew he was sad. "They said I would die but I prayed like my mommy said to and that's why they didn't hurt me," she said. She was so very tired, and with his hand still holding her own, Lilly slipped into a sleep from which she would never return.

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The Planet was the only paper in town that didn't send reporters to the Hospital. Perry said that the little girl had a right to be protected and that his paper would not stoop to that level. Despite that there were still calls that kept pouring in all day until the word finally came from Superman himself saying that the little girl had died.

As she drove home that evening, Lois felt numb, and wasn't sure how she would face him when she and Jason got home. Jason had been wonderful today and had no idea that the little girl his daddy had tried to help died, and Lois wasn't sure what he would do if he did find out. By gods grace by the time she pulled the car into the driveway behind Clark's truck he had fallen asleep, and as she turned the car off, she saw Clark come out the front door. Lois left everything in the front seat and ran to him wrapping her arms around him as tight as she could.

Lois's hold around him was his life line and as he held her in his arms he looked in the car and saw Jason asleep, and was grateful. "We need to put him in bed," he said finding his voice. When Lilly died he shot up into space and he screamed out his frustration to God and to any other being that would listen. How a small child could suffer like that and survive only to die in the end enraged him, and made him that much more determined to find the people who had done this and make sure none of them ever saw the light of day again.

In the small dimly lit room, Clark laid Jason down on his bed and removed his red boots, and as he did a smile came to his face. The boots had come from Martha and Ben, and Jason would wear them with anything if given a choice, because the looked like the boots he wore with his Superman Uniform. Without any hitch Clark got Jason out of his cloths and took the warm pair of pajamas that Lois handed to him. He put the bottoms on Jason first and then reached behind him supporting his head and neck as he sat him up and pulled the matching shirt over his head. Once Jason was fully clothed in his pajamas, Clark stood up and pulled the covers over him and then he sat back down and reached out placing his hand so that it rested on the left side of Jason's head.

His son was real, Jason was safe and Kal-El shut his eyes making a promise to himself that he would never let anything bad touch his little boy. Jason would be kept safe no matter what he had to do.

From the door of her son's room, Lois watched him shut his eyes, and pulled her robe closer around her body. She knew that he would keep Jason safe, that he would die himself before any harm came to Jason, and the thought of losing either of them was almost too much. She thought of Richard and shut her eyes trying not to let the old pain re-surface. Just as she was about to turn and walk away he was there and his arms wrapped around her taking away the pain she had just been feeling. They stayed there for a long time before they went to their room, and in their bed his lips and his gentle touch pushed away the sadness that had threatened to take over.

They made love twice before that joining pushed away the last vestiges of uncertainly and utter despair. And now as they rested on their sides, Lois's body spooned against his with her back pressing against his chest and abdomen, Clark's thoughts returned to the little girl.

Even though she was ready to go to sleep and put this day to rest, Lois knew he was still awake and took hold of his left hand which had been pressed up against her belly. "You are thinking about the little girl," she said in a soft whispered voice. She felt him move closer to her and smiled as she put his hand back where it had been and placed her hand over his.

"She woke up, somehow despite all of the medicine they put into her tiny broken body she woke up. I asked her what her name was and she told me Lilly," he said.

Lois heard the pain in his voice and in one simply movement she rolled over to face him. She rested her head on her left arm against her pillow and brought her right hand against his cheek.

"Lilly told me that she prayed to god not to let her die and she believed that prayer saved her, but why if only to die in the end," he said.

When she saw a tear role down his cheek it startled her, and Lois did the only thing she could think of, she kissed it away. "Maybe so we could find her family, or find a way to stop this from happening to another little girl," she said, and then she wrapped her arms around him and leaned back against her pillow bringing him with her as she did. For the first time since meeting him Lois was seeing something that no one else ever would, that their hero was just as much a human as the rest of them and that he too could cry over someone who had lost their life long before they should have.

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After dropping Jason off at school, Lois drove the car to work and while her left hand was on the wheel her right hand was holding Clark's. Perry had called wanting a full report and write up of the little girl's story, and for the first time in her life, Lois was not going to be a part of it. Even though the press knew her story, no one knew her name, and it was going to stay that way.

As soon as they walked into the bull pen Perry called out for them and Lois took the lead. When the door was shut Perry was waiting. "We have her name but that story isn't going to run," Lois said and watched as Perry's face turned a dark shade of red.

"What do you mean it's not going to run?" he asked without yelling.

"Her name was Lilly," Clark said as he held Lois's hand. "Superman said that she woke up even though she shouldn't have and talked to him. She was able to tell him her name and told him that she had prayed for god to keep her alive. He said after that she shut her eyes and passed away." It took all he had not to break down and his blue eyes never left the Chief's eyes.

As Clark finished, the editor and Chief found it hard to speak and he realized now why Lois had refused to run the story. "You two get out there and find out who did this and blow it open," he said. After they left he called upstairs and told the board that the story would not run but that his two star reporters would find out what had happened and that there would be a much bigger story. The board agreed with him to keep the story out of the paper and after he hung up Perry got back to his own work.

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Once again Jason had spent his time after school in the office and both of his parents had been really busy. Now as he played in the bath tub, he thought about what his mommy told him about the little girl. "Daddy is that little girl okay?" he asked as he looked at his father.

Lois informed him that she told Jason about the little girl just enough so that he would understand why he had been gone all day, and he had been prepared for this. "She isn't hurting any more," Clark said praying that Jason wouldn't ask any more questions. They both agreed that if he did ask he would get the truth, or as much of it as he could handle.

For a moment Jason thought that over. "Good, it's not fun to be hurt at all," he said and without warning he stuck his head under water and tried to breath in like he had seen Jonny do on TV.

In the family room, Lois was sitting with her legs crossed Indian style typing up the information Agent Jones had given her about where Lilly had been found and again it seemed like they had hit a dead end. As she was finishing up she heard Jason start to scream and cry and almost dropped the lap top before she was able to set it aside and run down the hall to his small bathroom. When she got there Clark was holding him cradled in his arms as their little boy continued to scream. "What happened," she asked as she walked over to him.

Clark put him in Lois's arms and got a towel putting it over him. "He tried to breath under water," he said as Jason cried.

Lois held him close gently rocking him. "Oh baby, you can't do that, only fish can," she said as he began to calm down.

His nose and throat burned and Jason pressed his face against her chest as he continued to cry. "Jonny did it," he sobbed.

As he said that Lois remembered his show and decided for a while there wouldn't be anymore Jonny Quest. With Clark's help she stood up and both of them went into Jason's room. Lois got him dried off and dressed him for bed as Clark got the Velveteen Rabbit. All three of them fit onto Jason's small bed and while Lois held Jason in her arms, Clark read the rest of the story.

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A black car pulled up to the east side pier and from the right back side a man in a dark suit stepped out as the two Burley men approached him. "That was sloppy," he said as he glared at them.

"She shouldn't have lived through it," one of the men said gruffly.

"But she did and now her story is all over the news. We need to clear out of here, no more bodies for now. Go back to the mansion and prepare for what needs to be done," he said, and then he got back into the black car with the tinted windows and drove away.

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Lois had just gotten her morning coffee and was sitting at her desk when she looked up seeing a young woman maybe a few years older than her approach her. When the woman asked if she was Lois Lane, Lois stood up.

"My name is Tina Foster, I think maybe the child Superman found was my daughter, she has been missing for a month now and I kept going to the police to report her but they said they were doing all they could," she said as tears streamed down her face. When the young woman led her into a vacant office, and offered her a seat, Tina took it. "My daughter was four years old her name was Lillianna, but we all called her Lilly," she said.

When Lois told her she was right, Tina broke down sobbing. Lois grabbed a box of tissue's and sat beside her, thinking of Jason as she tried to offer this woman comfort.

"She went outside our apartment to play and I left her for only a few minutes to do the laundry, when I got back to the playground the other kids said she went with a man who said he was her uncle, but Miss Lane, I don't have any siblings," she said wiping the tears from her face, and pushing her brown hair back. As she did that her hands shook.

"Where is your husband?" Lois asked gently and saw more pain in the woman's brown eyes.

"He left after Lilly disappeared, we had been talking about splitting up but after she got taken away he blamed me and moved in with his secretary."

What Lois wanted now was for Superman to arrive, to see if her story fit with what Lilly had told him. And then he was there, and Lois stood with him as he talked to the woman. She told him about how she and Lilly had always gone to church and how she and Lilly always said a prayer before bed, and when she showed them a picture Superman recognized her face and told her about Lilly's last moments.

"Miss Lane will take you to the police, they will want to hear your story," he said, already hearing trouble from far away. He took his leave and flew high above the earth, feeling anger again at what had happened to the little girl, and now her mother.

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**AN **_A few things I played around with, one being his reaction to Lilly's death. I figure he has seen death before even in children, but given the fact that he now has a child of his own it's a whole different game for Superman. I hope you die hards will give me a little creative liberty with his handling of things, because in the movie It seemed to me that they were striving to show his more human side, or that he was struggling with that. Anyway Read and Review and as always thanks._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Second Thoughts**

Two weeks ago the big story was the cult killings. The entire city was gripped in fear that their own children would be taken and found dead by the east pier, but it never happened that way. All of the children had come from different places around the Northeast, and for two weeks two reporters of the Daily Planet worked side by side trying to get to the bottom of the murders. Two weeks later the story had gone stale. There were no new leads, and no new bodies to add to the hundreds already found.

Seated at her desk wearing a pair of tan Khaki slacks and a cream button down short sleeved top, Lois Lane had a pen in her hand, and held the receiver of the black telephone between her ear and shoulder as she jotted down notes on her latest story. Just this morning as she and Clark arrived at the office, Perry had called them inside asking what they had on the East Pier Massacre's as it had now been deemed by the press. When neither one of them were able to produce any new information, he informed them that it was time to move on. Lois had protested, listing all of the reasons why they shouldn't give up, and then Clark had agreed with the chief, and now she was angry with both of them. This latest story wasn't even remotely all that interesting because it seemed to always happen right around this time of year. The public schools were out due to the teacher strike over some union event, and Lois had talked to every school official under the sun, glad that Jason was in a private school.

While Lois talked to the President of the Board of Education, Clark was talking to one of many teachers who felt they were underpaid and never appreciated. As he talked to the young woman, he kept looking over at Lois. He hated that she was angry with him, but was also relieved that Perry had pulled them from the story. Now that the press had lost interest, Clark hoped that someone in the Cult would slip up, leading to Superman and the FBI uncovering who was behind all this. At one time it was believed that a man named Jack Morrison was behind it, but now no one was sure. "Yes ma'am, and you say that you won't return until the new contract is accepted by the board?" he asked, as he wrote down almost every word she was saying. As he glanced at Lois he saw her putting on her tan dress coat, and when she left the office he managed to end the call and went after her.

As she waited for the elevator, Lois thought about what had gone on this morning with Clark and Perry. She was beginning to feel smothered, not just because Clark agreed with the Chief, but because she felt pressure from everyone else around them to put things off with Clark. The entire office knew they were engaged even though an announcement had yet to be made, and Lois was sick and tired of hearing the gossip. As she stepped into the near empty elevator, and the doors were about to close, a hand stuck through and the doors opened again revealing the very person she wanted to avoid.

While the elevator took them down to the bottom floor, Lois and Clark stood close to one another without uttering a word. It was the longest ride in the elevator Lois had ever taken, and when the doors finally opened, she made haste toward the revolving doors which would take her outside. She heard him call out to her, but she pointedly ignored him.

It was obvious that she was angrier with him than he thought, and when he reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, she stopped and turned around. He could see the hurt in her eyes, as well as the anger, and knew there was more to this than just his agreeing with Perry. "We should talk," he said, as people passed them by.

His voice was gentle and kind and she knew he loved her, but right now she just needed time to think. "We do need to talk," she said, and led the way outside. For a while the two of them walked down the sidewalk side by side without touching one another or even talking, and when they finally came to the small café Lois had wanted to go to, they took a seat at one of the outside tables. Spring was on its way and even though it was still cool enough for coats, it wasn't as bitter cold as it had been. "Clark, I," she said, as he gazed at her with his beautiful blue eyes. She looked down at the ring on her finger and shut her eyes as she pulled it off. "I can't marry you Clark, I'm sorry," she said, as she put the ring on the table and left.

The pain he was feeling as she left the table was insurmountable. This was the last thing he had expected, and then he knew that he had pushed her too quickly. Before he could get up and go after her, his hearing picked up the sounds of a high speed chase. He quickly pushed aside his sadness and ran into an alley where he changed into Superman and flew into the sky heading west to help Police catch three armed robbers who had just stolen thousands of dollars worth of Jewels from a small town Jewelry dealer.

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Perry had been surprised when she asked for a few days off, and Lois hated to miss work again, but she needed time to clear her head. She had gone to the house and packed up a week's worth of clothes for both her and Jason, and had checked into a local hotel with an indoor pool, knowing that Jason would enjoy that. Now as she sat in the car pool line she had to fight to keep the tears back. She loved Clark with everything she had but she couldn't help but feel she was betraying Richard in some way, and she kept seeing images in her head of Superman trying to make every choice for her to keep her safe. Finally it was her turn and Lois put on a big smile as Mrs. Davies helped Jason get buckled into his booster seat.

On the way home or what he thought was on the way there, Jason told his mommy about the video his class had seen. "It was of our solar system, and all of the planets. We drew pictures today and at the edge of my paper I drew Krypton and daddy's sun," he said. "I didn't tell them what it was because daddy says I can't," he said, and then looked out the window as they pulled into the parking lot of the Metropolis Inn. "Are we visiting someone?" Jason asked, as his mom found a parking place. He watched as she shut off the car and when she came around to his side and opened the door he could tell she was sad.

Lois knelt down and managed a small smile for her son. "Jason, I thought you and I could stay here for a while, until I find a place for us to live," she said. She saw the confusion in his eyes before they filled with tears.

"I don't want to stay here mommy, I like living with daddy," he said, as she hugged him close. She held him until he was ready to get out of the car and reluctantly he went with her to their new home.

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As Clark held the phone to his ear, he listened as Jason told him all about the swimming pool. His heart ached to hold his son in his arms, and his heart ached to hold Lois in his arms. He had never seen her run like this, but then she had never lost anyone like she had Richard and he knew that as much as he hated it, he had to give her time to figure things out. It still didn't add up though. Just last night they had made love into the wee hours of the morning and now she was ready to move out and on with her life.

While Jason sat on his bed talking to his daddy, Lois brushed out her long hair. Her thoughts were on Richard and how he had liked to run his fingers through her hair, and then Clark who had also liked the same sort of thing. Lois put her brush down as Jason brought her the phone, and when she had it, she watched as he walked toward the bed with his head hung down. "Hi Clark," she managed, trying to sound cheerful.

Even though she sounded upbeat he knew she was far from it and he didn't really know what to say to her. "I wish you would come home so we could talk," he said, in a gentle loving voice. He heard her voice crack as she told him they were better off where they were, and then she told him she had to go put Jason to bed. When she hung up, Clark put his phone down in the cradle and shut his eyes. Had he been selfish to put her into this position, maybe the voices of his parents were right, and maybe it was too much for him to ask someone to try and love him when he could never truly commit to them like other men could. As he sat thinking about her, he felt Lucky's paw on his lap and opened his eyes. Even Lucky seemed lost without them, and as he rubbed behind her ears, he reached out for the remote and turned the DVD player on, and then the TV. The image that came up was of Jason cradled in Lois's arms. His little boy had been so tiny then, and as he watched Lois trying to feed him bites of cereal, he though about how much he had missed in his son's life and wondered if this would be the way of things.

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The next morning after dropping Jason off at school, Lois went back to the hotel and was on the phone with a few apartments in the area when someone knocked at her door. She hung up the phone after getting down a meeting time and when she opened the door she found Clark there. Before she could say anything she found herself in his arms. As she gazed up into perfect blue eyes, she felt her resolve to move on slipping away. Her eyes filled with tears, and when she started to cry, he was there to hold her just as he had been all of the other times.

Last night Clark had come to the conclusion that not everything had been said and now as he held her in his arms while she cried he knew that this wasn't where she wanted to be. He had also realized that he shouldn't have been so eager to agree with Perry, at least not until he and Lois could talk, and as he led her over to the bed and sat down letting her sit beside him he waited as the storm passed by. "Lois, I'm sorry for yesterday, when Perry said it was time to move on from those murders, I was relieved because it meant you wouldn't be in anymore danger, but I also realized that I have to trust you," he said, as she lifted her head to look at him.

Why she had not talked about what she was feeling with him and instead had chosen to run was beyond her, but Lois still felt the pain of loss in her heart and sighed. "I don't want to live alone anymore Clark, I want to live with you and be married, but how can that be right, it hasn't been long since I lost Richard and I know I shouldn't give a rat's ass what anyone thinks, but I've heard the whispers, and I'm worried that somehow they will find out about you," she said, still feeling hurt and confused.

He held her close wanting to somehow take all of the pain she was feeling away. "We will have to be careful," he admitted, because he had been thinking along the same lines, "and while I am ready to make what ever sacrifices I have too, I can't – no, you have to decide what you want to do, just know that whatever it is I'll be here to love you as I always have," he said, as he felt her arms tighten around him.

Lois was quiet for a long time, thinking about what he had said to her, and how he had corrected himself, allowing her to decide what she wanted. What she wanted was a life with him. She knew that it wouldn't be perfect, but she also knew that there wasn't a man around, not even when Richard was alive, who loved her the way he did. "I think maybe I'm ready to go home," she finally said, as she again gazed up at his eyes. She saw him smile a moment before his head came down and his lips covered her own. His kiss was gentle and as his lips moved against her's, Lois put her hands between them and began to work the buttons on his shirt loose, rubbing her hands over the silken fabric of his suit.

Clark kissed her slowly, molding his lips with hers, as he felt her hands rubbing against his suit. He let go of her long enough to reach up at the collar of the suit and pull it loose for her, and then his hands ran down along her back to the waist band of her slacks. He pulled on her blouse, loosening it from her pants before he brought his hands around the front to work on the buttons.

They took their time exploring one another, first with their hands and then with their lips. When it was finally too much for them to be apart, even just a few inches, Lois found herself pressed against the mattress of the hotel bed as he moved over her. Without a doubt in her mind she knew this is where she wanted to be, and she knew she needed his gentle way of loving her to wash away the fears and doubts that had built up over the past few days. Their loving was everything she needed it to be, and afterward as she lay cradled against his body with just a sheet to cover them, she felt renewed and ready to be a part of this extraordinary man's life.

Held in his arms was the woman he loved, the only woman who had ever dared to try and understand him. Lois was his lifeline in many ways because she did understand him, and she had given him the one thing he never thought he could have, a wonderful bright little boy who lit up both of their lives in ways they could never have imagined.

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Not far from the city, in a historic old house, a young man sat in a basement lab looking through a microscope while he took down notes of what he was seeing. As Max worked, he didn't hear his boss enter the room, and jumped as Lex slammed his hands down on the table. He gazed up at the man and saw anger in his eyes.

"He has the inhalers, and I want to know why he hasn't started to get sick," Lex said, as he looked at the young geneticist with distrust.

Max loosened the tie around his neck and cleared his throat. "It will take time for the strain to do its job, since what you told me of the boat incident and from this latest sample of his blood, his Kryptonian cells are beginning to wake up. Each day that he is exposed to the sunlight his body is able to fight off the strain, but the cells are already starting to weaken, and once they do, the strain will attack them and kill them off just like I said it would. If I had to give you a time, I would say in the next two months," he said, wondering if he would be killed for this.

Two months was a short time to wait to see the Man of Steel in pain but he had other worries. "The Kryptonite lacing the strain won't turn his skin green, Superman can't be allowed to figure this out, and that boy must die for the betterment of man kind," he said.

Knowing that he was a part of murdering a five year old boy still haunted his thoughts, but Max sat up straight. "Since he is half human and because there is such a low dose of Kryptonite within the strain, no one will be able to find it within his body. You see, unless you know what you are looking for, this boy's blood work and DNA makeup resemble a human's right down to the basic coded structure, but if you look close enough," he said, as he let Lex take a look at the sample, "you will see the angular cells, his Kryptonian cells, and those little mites swimming about are strands of the strain weakening them," he said.

Lex looked at the young man and felt like a proud parent. "You succeed in this and I will make sure you are well taken care of," he said, as he patted the man on the back before he went upstairs in search of Kitty.

Once he was gone, Max put his head against his hands, which were beginning to shake. Somehow he had to find a way to help them before this little boy got too sick to be helped. Max knew that the time line was what Lex had wanted, and in four years time Jason White would be dead.

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As Lois sat on the sofa typing up the notes she had taken from her meeting with the President of the Board of Education, her eyes fell on the two men in her life. When they had gone together to pick Jason up from school he had been delighted to see his daddy, and when they brought him home he had done a little dance. Now he was dressed for bed playing a game of Go Fish.

Jason looked at the cards fanned out in his small hands and sighed. "Do you have a three?" he asked, looking at his daddy who frowned before he gave Jason three cards. Jason giggled as he put down his hand winning another game. "Mommy, I won." he said, a moment before a strong arm reached out and pulled him gently to the floor. Jason laughed as his daddy pulled his pajama shirt up and tried to push his head away but his daddy was strong and in a moment he was laughing hard as his belly became the target of some nibbles. "Mommy, save me!" he said, through his laughter.

Lois put her computer down and walked over to them. "How dare you tickle our son," she said, a moment before she tried to tackle Clark, and soon she found herself pinned down while both Jason and Clark tried to tickle her. Lois laughed as she tried to get away from them and when they finally stopped, and she sat up, Jason came over and settled down on her lap. His small hand pulled on her left and she smiled as he touched the ring which had been put back on before she and Clark left the hotel. "Mommy, when are we getting married to my daddy?" Jason asked

As they talked, Clark heard someone needing his help, and without disturbing them, he stood up and went into the kitchen where he changed into Superman. As he walked outside he heard Lois explaining to him that they all had to be ready for that, and as he flew away into the air, he prayed that there would be no more doubts for either of them.

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**AN:** _I know this was a short chapter but it's served its purpose and hopefully this next chapter won't take as long for me to figure out. I keep wanting to jump into the main plot of the story but I won't rush it so be patient with me. __Also a big, huge thanks goes out to Mr. Firenze who has been my Beta Reader throughout this story_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Missing Children**

Just outside the busy city of Metropolis were the homes of the more wealthy citizens. The houses there were not as close together, and most of the homes had huge backyards with fancy swing sets and swimming pools. The crime rate there was far less than it was in the big city due to the expensive alarm systems installed in the houses, and the local neighborhood watch program run by the neighborhood's residents, and organized by the police. No one living in those neighborhoods really worried too much about crime, and that was where the problem began.

In front of a huge two storey house, which sat further away from the small winding neighborhood road than most of the houses, a group of children played in the yard running around a red plastic fire hydrant that had green plastic hoses attached to it which moved about spraying water at any passerby. Three young boys no more than 6 or 7 years of age and two girls who were roughly the same age played without a care in the world. As they continued to play, none of the children saw the old beat up red pickup stop in front of the house, and then a boy with red hair and a pair of blue swim trunks spotted the man as he walked over to them.

Nicholas walked over to the children with confidence and a smile on his face. He had a long silver beard and when he asked the children if they had seen his daughter, they all ran over to him. "She was riding her bike around these parts, but she hasn't come home yet," he said, as they all looked at one another. "I have an idea, why don't you," he said pointing to one of the little girls, "come with me just to my car, I have a picture of my Tiffany, and maybe you can help me try and find her.

Julia knew never to go with strangers but this man looked very sad, and she knew that her friends could get help if he tried anything. "Okay, but I can't go in your car," she said.

"Fair enough, I wouldn't want my daughter to do that either," he said, as he stood up.

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In the kitchen which faced the back of the house where the pool was, Angela Collins was fixing lunch for the children playing outside. She had just finished the last sandwich when she heard a commotion in the front of the house. After wiping her hands on her blue apron she hurried to the foyer as the children tried to talk all at once. Angel knelt down, quieting them. "Now what is so important?" she asked, realizing that Julia was not among them.

Benjamin looked at her feeling bad. "A man came looking for his little girl and asked us to help find her. Julia went to his truck and he pushed her in and drove away with her," he said, as he scrubbed at tear making its way down his face.

Angela had only to think about that little girl that had been found by Superman to start to panic, but managed to pull it together. "Get your things ready, I'll take each of you home," she said, running her hands through her thick blond hair. She stood up feeling her knees shake as she went to get her purse and keys, and when all of the children were ready she grabbed her cell phone and began to make calls, the first one to her husband Ronald who worked in Metropolis at the Metro Bank Center.

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News was slow, even with Superman out to save the day. Lois had been in contact with Agent Jones who said that the case was coming to a close, and even though she knew there was more to be found, she didn't try to push the issue. Clark was right about one thing, she had to watch out for herself because of Jason. Now that he was back and she knew that he was only a shout away, she found herself taking more risks, and knew that she couldn't keep that up.

As she was about to phone downstairs and asks for a cup of steaming hot coffee, Perry stuck his head out of his office and called for her and Clark to come inside. Lois could tell by the tone of his voice that something big was afoot and she hoped with all she had that someone had slipped up in the cult. When she and Clark arrived in his office, Perry was sitting at his desk with his hands folded in front of him.

"I just received a call from one of my old contacts on the force. A call came in about an hour ago from a woman living in the Lakeshire Farms area. He said her little girl was taken away by a man in a pickup, in front of a bunch of other kids. I want the two of you over there to see what you can find out, see if this is related to the East Dock Massacres," he said, calmly.

Hearing that a child had been taken away in broad daylight made Clark's mind race and as he and Lois stepped out into the upper lobby area, he turned to her. "I need to go and see what I can find," he said.

Lois knew what he needed to do and wasn't angry or hurt. If he could get over there soon enough he might be able to find the little girl before anything bad could happen. "Be careful," she said, as he pushed the door open to the steps. When the door shut, Lois got in the elevator and headed for the 2nd level leading to the parking structure.

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By the time she pulled her blue Audi in front of the house, the police were already there. Lois made sure she had her press badge handy and after getting her recorder and her purse, she headed off toward the house. There were neighbors there too and as she approached everyone seemed to recognize her which always worked to her advantage. She reported the facts and was respected for it. When she got past the group of people an officer stopped her, and then smiled when he realized who it was.

"What do you got for me Joe?" she asked.

"Miss Lane, you know I can't release anything unless I have the parents consent, but I think they do want the press involved," he said, as he led her up to the huge house. As she walked with Joe, she looked around the yard. It was a nice place. The grass looked well kept and she saw some sort of sprinkler toy and wondered if that was where the children had been playing when the little girl was taken. When they stepped up on the porch the door opened and a man in his early thirties stepped out with his wife at his side. They stood strong, though Lois could tell that the woman had been crying. "My name is Lois Lane," she said, gently.

Ronald knew who she was and extended his hand. He still had on his suit from work and felt like his world had just fallen in on him. "I'm glad you came first," he said, noticing then a young man making his way toward them.

Lois saw his eyes move past her and turned around seeing Clark on his way. When he was close enough she introduced him. "This is my partner Clark Kent, do you mind telling us what happened to your little girl?" she asked. As he led them inside, Lois glanced to her right and could tell that he had not found any sort of clues as to where the little girl had been taken.

Inside, the house was immense and yet simple. They were led into a room off to the right of the foyer. Couches lined the walls on the right of the entry and the wall straight across from the entryway. A small piano was pressed against the wall to the left, and the wooden floor was covered by a beautiful oriental rug. As Clark sat down next to Lois, he scanned the house, or the parts he could see and could tell that this was a happy family.

"The children were in the front playing with a new sprinkler toy that Ronald bought for Julia," Angela said, as she sat next to her husband holding tight to his hand. "We never worried about letting them play out there and all of them knew not to talk to strangers, but for some reason, Julia did. One of the boys told me that a man came up to the house looking for his little girl, he said that he reminded him of Santa Claus, and maybe that's why she trusted him." As she spoke those last words she broke into sobs, and her husband led her out of the room, leaving the two reporters alone.

Once she was sure they were out of ear shot, Lois turned to face Clark, and could see the worried look in his eyes. "What did you find?" she whispered, after she turned off her recorder.

He had flown over a fifty mile radius but had not been able to find anything other than a few tracks when the roads turned to dirt. "Not one thing," he admitted, feeling sick inside. If he had to watch one more child die he wasn't sure what he would do.

Knowing he was frustrated, Lois reached out and took his hand in hers. "We will find this one," she said, and she would do what she had to in order to find the right leads.

Before he could say anything he pulled his hand away as Mr. Collins came back into the room holding a large framed picture of his daughter. "This was taken a few weeks ago, please find out who has her," he said.

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Later that night, unaware that anything was wrong at all, Jason sat in his playroom zooming his cars around a track he had made out of old puzzle box lids. Jason had cut them and pasted them and then he had drawn a track with his red crayon. "Oh no, look out," he cried, as two cars crashed together. Jason reached out and grabbed an ambulance and made siren sounds as he drove it toward the two cars which had flipped over. He also got a red fire truck and brought that over. "Quick put out the fire before they die," he said, making the sound of water, or what he thought it should sound like coming out of a small plastic hose attached to his fire truck.

It was nearly 9 p.m., and while Lois poured over the information she had compiled about Ronald Collins and his family, Clark had cleaned up another mess in the kitchen Lucky had left, and walked down the hall hearing Jason at play. He stood at the door with his arms folded across his chest watching as Jason crawled across the floor pushing an ambulance car up to his plastic hospital building. Clark hated to interrupt his play, but he and Lois would have a full day tomorrow and Jason still had three more days of school until his spring break.

"Easy they got bad hurt in a crash," Jason said, as he opened the back of the ambulance and pulled two small figures out with a stretcher. He heard his daddy call out his name but Jason chose to ignore him. "Get the operation room ready for him, he will need a new arm and leg and maybe a new brain," Jason said, as he pulled the hospital open exposing little rooms.

It was obvious that Jason wanted to play, but it was time for bed, and Clark stepped over the track and knelt down behind his little boy. "Hey Jason, it's time to put this away for now," he said.

Jason groaned and turned around. "But this guy needs help daddy, and I need to finish this now," he said, as though it were very important to him.

Two weeks ago Clark would have likely granted Jason more play time but now he was beginning to learn the tricks of the trade. "You can finish tomorrow night when we come home," he said, and saw Jason purse his lips. He gently grabbed Jason's hand as he raised it holding one of the cars. "Jason," he said, sternly.

Jason thought about having to spend time in time out and put his car down. "I don't want to go to bed," he said, as he stood up and walked out of the room. In his room he found his pajamas and shrugged away when his daddy tried to help him. He pulled the shirt over his head backward and tried to get it to turn around but it wasn't working out. "I can do it," he said, as his daddy tried to help again. Finally he got it to turn around the right way and as he was pulling on his blue pajama bottoms his mom came in with his nebulizer. "I don't want that tonight," he said, being grumpy.

As Lois walked over to their little boy, Clark stood up, and watched her as she gently but firmly got Jason to do what was needed. Once he was settled into bed, he was not as grouchy and when Clark reached for a book to read to him Jason made room for his daddy to lie on his bed. His father's voice was soothing as he began to read the story by **C.S. Lewis** called The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and when he said the title, Jason asked, "What is a wardrobe?"

Clark smiled as he put the book down. "It is sort of like your closet but it stands out on its own, like your dresser, only you can hang cloths inside of it," he tried. When Jason seemed satisfied with the answer he began to read again only to hear a scream and then metal grinding against metal. Clark looked at Lois, who was picking up Jason's cloths and toys, and gave her a knowing look.

"No," Jason said, as his daddy started to get up.

These were the moments he hated and as he knelt down, Jason turned away from him. "I have to help," he said, as he leaned in and gave Jason a kiss on his head. As he spun into his suit and left the house he heard Jason start to cry and hated it, but this accident was a bad one and as he flew out of the city toward the highway he knew that this time he didn't have a choice. Again it came back to balancing, and the smaller things that could be handled by the local law enforcement he was allowing that to happen. As he found the pile up, Superman again had to clear his mind of his son and his sorrow so that he could do his job.

An hour after Superman left, Lois left their son's room and entered the family room. Jason at first told her that he hated his daddy and cried when she admonished him telling him that she never wanted to hear those words from his mouth again. She knew her little boy was hurting, and she knew that all of this was going to take time. As she sat down in the recliner she flipped on the TV and found out what had taken her love away. There was a 15 care pile up with several people already dead and many more injured. Lois watched as Superman worked with rescue crews to save as many lives as he could. As she was about to turn the TV off, a news update flashed on the screen, and a young man came on the screen with a somber look in his eyes.

"Just moments ago we received word that another child has gone missing," the man said, standing behind another one of the houses at Lakeshire Farms.

Lois listened as he made the report and wondered how much worse things were going to get for the city. After the broadcast ended, she phoned down the police station and was glad to find Officer Joe Martinez working the beat. "So, there weren't any witnesses?" she asked, surprised by that. "How did they get in, those people spend a fortune on alarms over there." As she listened, Lois jotted down notes and then looked at the TV as the reporter told the viewers that Superman was now there trying to find the little girl who had gone missing, this time a two year old. When she hung up, Lois sat watching the news for a while longer before she shut the TV off and went down the hall to her room.

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There were no answers or any clues as to why the girls had been taken. Superman spent the better part of the night trying to find something, and had even returned to the docks, but nothing panned out. Some part of him wondered if this was all Lex's doing to cover up something much larger, but all of this wasn't his style. If Lex wanted to hurt him, he would go after the two people The Man of Steel loved most in the world.

As he landed in the back of the house, Lucky greeted him. She had been spending more and more time outside when the family slept due to her horrible habit of chewing things up. As he entered the house he changed back into what he had been wearing before his long night began. Quietly, he entered Jason's room and stood at the door watching him as he slept. After a few moments he shut the door and went into the room he shared with Lois. She was also asleep and after he took off his shirt and pants, he put on a pair of pajama bottoms and slid under the covers. Even in sleep Lois snuggled up into his arms, and while she could sleep, he could not.

It was very dark and very scary, but Christina knew she had to tell someone. The Mansion was 30 miles away from Metropolis and all of the other girls there were being hurt and some of them had even died when they wouldn't do the things the elders asked. Today a baby had been put in the mix, because Lady Sophia wanted a doll to dress up. The little girl was quiet and cooperative, and Christina knew that would save her life. For weeks on end, the nine year old girl had planned on how to get away, and the large bits of meat she had stolen served well to keep the dogs at bay allowing her to leave the grounds. She finally made it to the highway but stayed in the tall grass, knowing that any one of the brothers could come driving by and then she would end up like Lilly and Jessica. As she walked through the wet grass barefooted, her feet began to feel numb and she decided that was better than stepping on sharp objects.

Something behind her a good ways away snapped, and Christina flattened herself on the ground, remembering what Lilly had told her, pray, and so she did. As she said her prayer she thought of something, and wondered if it would work for her. "Superman, if you can hear me, my name is Christina Jones, and I need you to save me now." She heard a growl and knew Damien had gotten out. Suddenly the huge dog was on top of her growling and Christina cried as loud as she could, praying as she said his name over and over that he would find her. The large Bull Terrier sank his teeth into her throat and then he yelped and ran away.

A voice, unlike any she had ever heard, told her she would be safe, and Christina tried to talk and began to choke. She was suddenly warm and it wasn't as hard to breath for some reason. It was like a dream as she looked up and saw Superman's face, and she knew she was flying. Something warm was being held over her throat, and as she shut her eyes she hoped that he would find the other girls in time.

The child in his arms was dying, and Superman would move time and space to stop it this time around. The Dog had punctured her throat, and as he flew, Superman had to hold her so that her body was more up right, and had her head leaned over one arm to keep her from choking on her own blood. When he got her to the hospital he found a doctor who led him up to surgery when he realized what was happening with the little girl. Now Superman stood outside the doors watching them as they worked on her. He knew he should go back and try to find out where she had come from, but decided for now that he needed to stay where he was.

It was close to sunrise when they finally finished with her, and as the doctor who had done the surgery came out, he looked tired but hopeful. "She was lucky, and you saved her. We won't know until she wakes up if she will still have the use of her voice, but there is a good chance she will," he said, and then left. When the nurses wheeled her bed out of recovery, Superman went with them to the room she had been assigned to and waited. He knew he needed to call Lois but also knew that he couldn't risk exposing his secret. As he thought about her and Jason, the little girl began to move. Superman walked from the window to her bed, and when she opened her eyes and saw him, she smiled.

Even though her throat hurt like it was on fire, Christina knew she had to tell him about her father and the Cult. She opened her mouth and tried to speak but she couldn't and when she began to panic she found her hand in his. She put her hand on her throat and shook her head wanting to tell him what he needed to know.

Superman knew she wanted to tell him something and after looking around the room he got her clip board and let her write on a blank page. When he looked at it he read, _my name is Christina Jones, don't let my father take me out of here no matter what he tries. He is Agent Jones and that man in jail didn't have anything to do with what happened. _He could hardly believe what he was seeing and knew she needed to rest. "Are they close to where I found you?" he asked gently, and when she nodded her head he knew he had to get out there. "No one will hurt you now, but I need to go and search for the other children," he said, and she nodded her head again

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It was a little past five when the phone began to ring, and Lois picked it up still half asleep. "Yeah," she managed.

Dressed in the clothes he stored in the pocket of his cape Clark knew Lois likely wasn't even aware he had left again. "Lois, it's me," he said, waiting for his voice to register. "Superman found a little girl claiming to be Agent Jones daughter. She is here at the hospital and Superman needs to go look for the other children, but he doesn't want to leave her alone. He doesn't trust anyone else to be with her."

On the other end Lois knew what he wanted from her, thought about Jason, and then decided that the hospital staff would let her in with him as they had done the last time. "I'll be there as soon as I can. Be careful," she said, as she hung up and got out of bed. Lois dressed in a long dark skirt and a warm top and ran the brush through her hair pulling it back as she found her shoes and slipped them on her feet a moment before she realized that she hadn't put on her panty hose. Once she was dressed she went across the hall to Jason's room and packed his back pack, and then she headed to the kitchen and got his breakfast put into zip lock bags. After she got the car started and all of their things were in the front passenger seat, she went back into Jason's room and got him out to the car without a peep.

Christina had gone back to sleep, and Superman was standing by the window when Lois arrived with their sleeping son in her arms. He cleared off the sofa and let her get him settled, knowing that he couldn't act like a father around a place such as this. Once Jason was settled, he saw the worried look in her eyes. "I contacted Officer Martinez, and he should be here soon." He walked away wanting to kiss her and once he was in the elevator he flew off to find the others and stop this madness.

Jason and Christina were still asleep when Agent Jones barged into the room. Lois stood up from the sofa and walked over to the bed. "She stays here," she said, daring him to try and take her away.

"You see that is where you are wrong Miss Lane," he said, as he pulled out a gun and pointed it at her first and then Jason who had just begun to wake up. "She has to be punished, under the laws of our God she betrayed the lot of us, and we can't have that," he said, as he readied his gun to fire. "Now you go over there and take care of your son, and I'll take care of what is mine," he said, keeping his gun trained on them, while he sided up to his daughter's bed.

As soon as he saw the man with the gun, Jason hid his face with his hands and started to sob. He felt his mommy sit down, and when he was in her arms, he held on to her as tight as he could.

Lois watched as Agent Jones lifted his daughter into his arms, and then when he was ready he pointed his gun at the door. As she stood up, Jason began to really cry, and she hated herself for even bringing him, in hindsight she should have left him at Perry and Alice's house, knowing they would have been up. They were early birds, and when she had gone back to work full time, Jason had stayed with his Aunt Alice until either she or Richard could go by and get him.

When they stepped out into the hall she saw Officer Martinez slumped over in his chair with a spilled cup of coffee on the floor. Superman had underestimated the Agent as she had, and as Jason continued to cry, Lois did her best to calm him down.

The feeling of someone holding her too tight woke Christina, and when she saw her dad with the gun, she did the only thing she could think of. Before he could respond, she shut her eyes, reached up and put her fingers in his eyes, pushing as hard as she could. Christina found her voice as his gun went off and screamed, even though it made her throat hurt.

Lois had seen Christina stir and as the girl had reached up to stop her father, she had thrown herself and Jason to the floor. When the gun went off, Jason went into hysterics and rightly so. "Jason, I'm right here, baby. I won't let anything happen," she said, as she heard foot fall on the floor ahead of them, as well as other voices.

In a matter of moments it was all over. Christina was safe in the arms of a woman who had to be her mother the way the two of them were crying, and Lois sat up holding Jason cradled in her arms and then she stood up with the help of another agent. Her eyes searched the halls but she didn't see Superman and knew that he was likely still trying to help the other children.

A young nurse named Sara Martin approached Lois with a nebulizer for Jason who was still sobbing and in the throws of an asthma attack. She had known them for a long time and led Lois with Jason to Christina's room. Once Jason was calm, she asked him if he wanted a Ginger Ale and smiled when she saw him smile. "You just keep doing what you are doing and I'll be right back," she said. Jason was special because she had gotten to know him, and as she went to get him his drink she remembered the first time she had seen him when he was two years old and had Pneumonia. That was when she figured out that giving him little sips of ginger ale helped when one of the doctors wanted to examine him.

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The children he found at the mansion had been abused, but they were all safe, being taken to safe houses until the parents could be found. Among them were the two children taken from The Lakeshire Farms area, and the two little girls were among the few who had not been abused. Superman had just seen the last van of children away when one of the officers ran to him.

"There was an incident at the hospital with Christina and her father Agent Jones, as well as Lois Lane," Officer Sams said and then he found that he was standing alone next to the entrance of the huge Mansion.

Superman flew as fast as he could toward the city, cursing himself for leaving Lois at the hospital. He should have known that it was Agent Jones, because of the conversation he had with Lois just a few days before. She kept saying how odd it was that he was always gone and how odd it was that he wouldn't return her messages, almost as if he had a secret to hide. Now it all made sense and as he landed on top of the hospital and spun around putting his normal clothes on, he continued to walk toward the entry to the stair well.

When he reached the pediatrics ward there were tons of FBI agents and officers, all of whom seemed to recognize him, and when he reached Christina's room he only saw her and a woman sitting beside her bed. Clark turned around and found Sara, the woman who had helped Jason the last time he was here. "I'm looking for Lois Lane," he said, and got a smile from her. When she asked him to follow her, he did and two doors down in a hospital bed he found both Lois and Jason asleep. Without anyone's knowledge he scanned both of them finding that they were unharmed and then he went over to the side of the bed Lois was on and leaned over her placing a feather light kiss on her lips.

Something touching her lips woke her and as Lois opened her eyes she managed a small smile to the man she loved. She saw the pained look in his eyes and shook her head reaching up to touch his cheek. When she did that he turned his head and brought his hand up holding her hand while he kissed it. "You didn't know," she whispered, as Jason continued to sleep.

Clark looked behind him and pulled up a chair. "I should have, if anything would have happened to either of you, I would never have forgiven myself," he said, softly.

Not willing to let him take the blame, Lois again shook her head. "If I would have thought about it, I would have left Jason with Alice and Perry, they are early risers and Alice used to keep him after I returned to work," she said.

Beside her Jason shifted and when he opened his eyes and saw his daddy he reached his arms out. In a quick movement, his father's strong arms were holding him, and Jason hid his face against his neck. "The bad man had a gun daddy," he said, softly. As Jason rested safe in his father's arms, he listened, or tried not to, as his mommy told about the bad man and his gun.

Clark wanted to make sure Agent Jones never saw the light of another day, and then he pushed those thoughts away thinking of what his father had taught him, violence was not the way to solve the world's problems and there had already been far too much of that as it was. "How about we go home," he said finally as Jason nodded his head in agreement. Clark stood up and helped Lois out of the bed and as they were getting ready to leave her cell rang. It was Perry who agreed they needed to take the rest of the week off, and he smiled as Lois told him that they had one heck of a story for the Monday addition.

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When they arrived home, Jason didn't want to leave their sight, and both of them had expected that. Clark helped him bring some of his toys out in the family room, and as Jason began to play, the house phone rang. This time Clark picked it up and found his mother on the other end. He and Lois had talked it over, and both of them were hopeful that she and Ben could come down next week to keep Jason, who would be on his spring break. "No, we are all ready for a relaxing weekend," he said, as he sat on the sofa next to Lois.

As Clark talked to his mom, Lois looked over her emails seeing one from her parents who were back in Spain. When she read it she wasn't surprised when they said they had purchased a Time Share out there, and a part of her was glad. She loved them despite all of their faults, but after the way the past few weeks had gone she wasn't ready to handle them. After replying to their email, leaving out the big news of the year, she shut her computer down and got down on the floor with Jason. "What are you doing there?" Lois asked, as Jason played with his little hospital.

"This man got hurt in the car crash at the race track, so he's got to get a new leg and arm, and a brain too," Jason said, as he continued to play. "If you want to, you can help me, you hold this guy, he's the doctor, and when the man gets out of the operation room you have to make sure he is getting better," Jason said.

Lois held the plastic figure in her hand and did what her son wanted. When they finished taking care of the man, Jason gave her a car and she played with him enjoying some quiet time away from the world and all of its problems.

After he hung up the phone with his mom confirming that she could get a flight out of Montana on Sunday, Clark joined his wife and son on the floor, and as they played together, he too felt this is where he needed to be. He heard a few cries for help but none of them were urgent enough for Superman and by mid afternoon, Jason had fallen asleep on the floor, leaving his parents some time alone. Now as he and Lois sat on the sofa, he considered moving Jason, but knew that given what he had been through being alone in his room would likely upset him.

Lois loved being where she was, settled in Clark's arms watching Jason as he slept. She had gotten his pillow and the blanket from his bed and covered him up, and she felt guilty and sad about what had taken place today. "How did I get him into all of this, first the Gertrude, and now today," she said, softly.

He knew she felt guilty and pulled her closer. "We just have to be more careful, and as you said, if there is someplace where there might be danger, we leave him with Alice or even Jimmy," he said, and felt her chuckle.

"Jimmy said that the night he babysat, Jason barely gave him a chance to play on his game system, I think next time he might just leave it behind," Lois sighed, and shut her eyes thankful for having her family safe and sound at home.

A few minutes later with Lois asleep in his arms, Clark managed to get up off of the sofa and carried her into their room without waking her. Once she was settled in their bed he went back to the family room and got Jason and put him in the bed next to his mother. As he was about to join them he heard an emergency that needed Superman, and reluctantly he left the room to change into his suit and took off for the sky, ready to keep the world safe as he had always done. Now however, he found it was more difficult to leave with all that had gone on this day, but he also knew he had this obligation and had already trained his mind to the task of helping the people of a small village in South America escape a mud slide.

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_Once again I have to thank Mr. Firenze for helping me Beta this, and thank the rest of you for reading and reviewing, hope you like the rest of what is to come. _


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The Beginning**

The city was safe, thanks to Superman, and the children who had been taken from their families, both in Metropolis and in other parts of the Northeast, had been returned home. It was a time for healing, and everyone in the busy city wanted to put the terrible atrocities of the Cult killings behind them. On the West side of the city, in a mid sized brick house, a family slept through the night as several families around them did. Inside the house was quiet, save for the normal sounds of an older house settling. In the back yard a playful Dalmatian puppy lifted her head from within the doghouse she was sleeping in, able to pick up on sounds that few people could.

In a small bed covered by an ornate handmaid quilt, Jason slept fitfully. The little boy turned from his belly to his back, and then onto his side, shaking his head as his small face contorted as if he was seeing something truly scary. Suddenly Jason sat up and began to scream and not even a second later he was in the strong arms of his father as he began to cry.

As he held his son in his arms, Clark heard the distant cries for help, and chose not to answer. He knew he was needed as Superman, but at the moment his little boy needed him more. As he entered the room he and Lois shared, he saw that she was already out of bed. When she stepped in front of him, he tried to give Jason to her, but their son would have none of that and held on to his neck tight. "Shh, I have you," Clark said, as they moved over to their bed. He sat down and Lois sat next to him, both of them comforting Jason as he cried.

It was hard to see Jason so afraid, so upset and Lois felt responsible. She had taken one too many risks with him and a part of her wondered if someone would come and take him away. As Clark held their son, she leaned against his left side rubbing Jason's back as the cries finally started to lessen. When Jason stopped crying all together, he lifted his head away from his father's chest, and reached for his mommy. Lois took him into her arms, cradling him against her chest, as she pressed soft kisses to his cheeks. "Did you have the same dream?" She asked, as he nodded his head.

"I don't want you to die, mommy," he said as more tears spilled down his soft cheeks.

Lois held him close. "I won't die baby, I am going to be very careful from now on, to keep both of us safe," she said, as she kissed him some more. As Jason yawned, Lois stood up with him still cradled against her chest and walked to her side of the bed. She laid him down against her pillow and when he moved over she settled in next to him.

Still hearing the cries for help, Clark reluctantly left them, knowing that Lois had things under control. As he flew into the air he wondered if another trip away was needed, even though he knew that neither he as Clark, nor Lois cold really afford it. There were still write ups being done following the case of the Cult who had abused young girls sexually making them into slaves in essence for some purpose that was still unclear.

As Superman flew above the earth, he focused on what he was hearing and a few minutes later he was hovering over Ecuador where neighboring tribes were trying to get away from another land slide. After assessing his best course of action, Superman sped down through the mesosphere and when he arrived below the clouds he used his heat vision to stop the rains that had been falling for near a week.

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The next afternoon, held in his fathers strong arms, Jason helped look for his grandparents in the busy airport. It was Sunday, and for once a pretty day. He and his daddy had come alone because his mom had things to do at work. It was very busy today, and for the first time in his life, Jason found the crowd to be pretty scary. "I don't see them yet," Jason said in a worried tone.

Clark knew Jason was worried and hugged him close. "Their flight just arrived, so we might have to wait just a little longer," he said, using a soothing tone of voice as he pushed his glasses further up his nose. Finally they spotted his parents, and Clark had expected Jason to want down so he could run and greet them, but as they got closer, Jason held on to him just a little tighter.

Seeing her son and grandson safe was what put Martha's worries to rest, though as she got closer to them she saw Jason turn his head away, and saw the worried look in Clark's eyes. She had known about what had happened at the hospital because Clark had told her as much, but it was obvious to her now that the pain and fright that had touched Jason went deep, and she hoped that she and Ben would be able to help make him feel just a little better. When Martha reached her boy she hugged both him and Jason, and when she pulled away she put and hand on Jason's back. "My goodness, I believe you have grown," she said, drawing him out of his shyness.

Jason looked at his grandma as his eyes widened. "Really?" he asked, still hanging on to Clark as tight as he could.

"Why I believe so, what do you think Ben?" she asked, as her husband joined her. He smiled and agreed as the four of them headed over to find their luggage.

Clark saw their luggage and tried to put Jason down but his little boy clung to him. "Hey, no one is going to get you, but I need to help Granny and pappa get their luggage," he said, as Jason shook his head. Clark shifted Jason to his left side and managed to get the luggage with one hand, one piece at a time. Once he had the luggage gathered, he took the heaviest piece while still carrying Jason and they all headed out to the car.

At the car, Clark got Jason buckled into his booster seat and set up his movie for him before he helped Ben put the luggage in the trunk. While they tended to that, Martha got in the back seat next to Jason realizing that there was a small screen on the back of the front passenger chair. The Movie that came on was one she recognized called Mary Poppins, and she smiled as Jason focused on that.

Once they were on the road, Clark listened as Ben and his mom told him about their trip to Florida, and was surprised when his mom said that they were thinking of getting a winter home there. "I thought you liked the winter in Montana," he said, keeping his eyes focused on the road ahead of them.

Martha smiled. "We do, but the sun and warm weather is a nice change," she said, as Jason sneezed. "Bless you," she said, as he smiled at her before he went back to watching his show.

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Digging into Agent Jones's personal life was proving to be more of a hassle than what Lois wanted. Being in the FBI his personal files were still confidential, and she had yet to find one person who would say anything bad about him. Several of his fellow agents still felt that he was a good man, and that surprised her after all he had done. Finally she gave up for the day and met Perry as he was walking out of the office. The two of them walked to the parking garage together, and after Perry gave a nod of his head and went his own way, Lois reached into her purse and grabbed her pepper spray unwilling to take any chances. She made it to her care safely, and was glad to be heading home, anxious to see her little boy, as well as Martha and Ben, who would be staying with them this week to help take care of Jason.

After arriving at the house, as she was getting her things out of the car, she felt something small but strong attach itself to her leg. "What is that," she asked, as she looked around hearing someone giggle. Lois looked down at her son, who let go in exchange for a real hug, as his mommy knelt down to hold him. His hair was wet, and as Lois hugged him, she could tell he had just had a bath. "Oh I missed you," she said, as he held onto her.

"Granny made dinner," he said, as his mommy stood up settling him against her left hip. Jason helped her hold her files as they made their way inside the house, where they were greeted by his daddy. The little boy laughed as they kissed and then he was ready to get down and go to the kitchen.

The first thing she noticed when she walked into the house was all the good smells coming from the kitchen. Martha was a wonderful cook, and Lois's stomach grumbled as Clark led the way. He helped her with her coat and took her files while she found a seat at the table and an instant later a plate of fresh green beans, homemade mashed potatoes, and fried chicken was placed in front of her. Generally Lois steered clear of this sort of meal, but she had learned when they were in Montana that it was hard to stick to her golden rule of eating light, and after everyone else was seated, dinner began.

"Mommy, guess what…," Jason said, as he took a bite of potatoes.

A smile formed on her lips as she heard the excitement in his voice. "What, munchkin?" She asked, as she took a sip of freshly brewed iced tea.

"Granny and Pappa are taking me to the aquarium tomorrow," he said, as his face squinted up right before he sneezed. The sneeze didn't faze him as he bit into a piece of chicken. Everything on his plate were things he could eat, and Jason loved it all.

The rest of dinner was mostly light conversation, and Lois was thankful that no one brought up Agent Jones. She was relatively sure Jason's nightmares involved what he had seen in the hospital and in combination with what he had gone through on **The Gertrude**. When dinner was finished, and while Martha and Ben were led away from the kitchen by Jason, Lois helped Clark clean the dishes. "How was his day?" she asked, as she started to put the rinsed dishes he handed her into the dishwasher.

Clark scrubbed at one dish and as he did he told her what she wanted to know. "He had a good day, though when we were at the airport, he wouldn't let me put him down," he said. He saw her frown as he handed her the dish and knew she felt the same guilt he had been feeling most of the day. "My mother thinks we just need to give him time, I think she is right," he said.

"I'm glad she came this week, I wasn't sure about having him at work with all the news still focused on the cult," she said as they finished up.

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Seated in bed next to her grandson, Martha read to him from a book he had selected, **Curios George**. Jason loved the story and as she finished he asked her to read it again.

Martha looked over at the door finding Lois waiting and slipped out of her grandson's bed. "I promise we will spend time reading more tomorrow," she said, as she gave him a kiss noticing his bottom lip sticking out. Without another word she left the room to go see what Ben and Clark were up too.

As Lois took Martha's place next to her son, Jason settled against her resting his cheek against her chest. "Mommy, I want to sleep with daddy and you," Jason said in a sad small voice.

Lois held her arms around her son and leaned forward to kiss the top of his head. "I know you are afraid munchkin, but your daddy and I won't let anything bad happen to you.

"Nothing bad was sposed to happen to daddy, my other daddy and it did," he said, as he sniffed.

She knew she couldn't find an answer to that, and sat more upright propping Jason's pillows against his head board before she shifted him to rest cradled in her arms, as she had a few nights ago. "Jason, what happened to us the other day, and what happened to your daddy are events that usually don't occur very often. Most of the time people like us live full lives, very safe from bad things," she said, as she began to stroke her fingers through his hair, realizing that it was in desperate need of a cut.

"Is daddy fast enough to keep us safe?" he asked, as he yawned.

"Yes," she said, praying that if something else happened, Clark as Superman would be able to help them. Jason sighed and his eyelids grew heavy as she continued to stroke her fingers through his hair. When he was finally asleep, Lois stood up and laid him down in his bed without waking him. As she pulled the blankets over him, she felt Clark's hand on her shoulder and in a moment she was leaning with her back pressed against his chest, content as he wrapped his left arm just below her chest. The two of them stood watching over their son for almost ten minutes before they finally left him to sleep, hoping that tonight he wouldn't have any more bad dreams.

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Jason managed to wake himself up before the dreams could get too bad. Still afraid, he got out of bed, slipped on his red boots, and walked soundlessly out of his room.

In the room across from where he lay resting with Lois, Clark opened his eyes listening, and heard the door in the kitchen sliding open. Slowly he sat up and used his x-ray vision watching as Jason walked out of the house and over to the dog house. When he crawled inside, Clark got up, put on a pair of pajama bottoms, and left to bring their son back inside.

As Lucky licked his face, Jason tried to get warm, but it was cold in just his pajamas. He rested his head against her chest, not carrying that she was wet, and then he heard a strong gentle voice right outside calling his name. Jason crawled out of the house into the arms of his father who took him back inside. In his small bathroom, he sat on the toilet seat while his daddy wet a washcloth with warm water, and then began to wipe his hands and his face.

In Jason's bedroom, Clark put his son in a different pair of pajamas and then sat on the edge of the bed holding him close for a moment before he turned to lay him down. "I won't leave," he said, as he felt Jason's arms tighten around his neck.

"When can Lucky stay inside again at night?" asked Jason, rubbing his sleepy blue eyes.

Clark leaned down and kissed Jason's left cheek. "When she learns not to chew on the things she should not," he said. He watched as Jason's eyelids began to shut and quieted him when he tried to fight it. "You are safe, Jason," he whispered, as he laid his hand against his son's chest. Jason hugged his hand and allowed his lids to fall closed and in a few minutes he was asleep.

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Early the next morning, everyone in the house woke up to the smells of a great country breakfast, and as Lois opened her eyes she smiled as she found Jason in bed next to her. He was sound asleep, so she got out of bed slowly and when she walked over to the closet she began to go through her cloths, selecting a long tan skirt and a soft cream blouse to go with it. The skirt had a matching jacket and once she was dressed Lois worked on her hair, which was always a mess.

Seated in the kitchen with his parents, Clark had on his business suit and when Lois entered the room he stood up and went to her. They shared a kiss as they usually would and then he led her to the table and held out her chair pushing it in when she sat down.

"How long has Jason been in our bed?" she asked, as she took a bite of scrambled eggs.

"Since last night, I got him to sleep but he came in our room as I was getting in bed," he replied.

As they ate, Martha saw the ring on Lois's finger, and looked over at Ben, who had also noticed it. Both of them had noticed it last night, but they had decided not to press for an answer until it was offered. Once the reporting team of the Daily Planet finished breakfast they were ready to leave, and as Clark was helping Lois into her coat, Jason walked in.

"No!" he cried out, as he ran over and attached himself to his mom's leg.

Clark knelt down putting his hand on Jason's back and in a moment he held his son in his arms as Jason began to cry. "Shh Jason, mommy and I have to work, and Granny and pappa are taking you to the Aquarium," he said as Lois knelt next to them.

"I want to go with you," he replied, as Martha brought him a Kleenex. Jason let his mom dab at his tears, but he held on to his dad, crying more when he realized he wasn't going to get his way.

It was unsettling to her to see him so distraught, and Lois was half tempted to call in but she also knew that she and Clark had to go, and that Jason would be in good hands.

Martha walked over to the table where Clark had moved and rubbed Jason's back. "Should we try and read more **Curious George**, I enjoyed hearing that story," she said, hoping to coax him away.

"I want to go," Jason said, trying to catch his breath. Ben walked into the kitchen holding a colorful package and when Jason saw him set it down, he reluctantly left his father's arms and went over to it.

Standing at the entrance of the kitchen door, Lois watched as Clark got his things and snuck out, and both of them left the house without Jason's knowledge. When they got down the road, Lois reached out and took Clark's hand. "How is he doing?"

"He's crying but mom is getting him calmed down," he said, trying to focus on the road. By the time they left their neighborhood, Clark was able to report that Jason was playing outside on a battery powered Jeep chasing Lucky around the yard which made Lois laugh.

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It was very busy when they arrived at work, and as they stepped into the Elevator, Jimmy entered as well greeting them. "Chief wanted me to take pictures down at the court house, they are starting the hearings against Agent Jones today," he said. When they got into the bullpen, Lois saw a familiar face standing at her desk and both she and Clark greeted Christina and her mother.

Seeing the unease in Alexandra Jones's eyes, Clark knelt down next to Christina. "Christina, do you like to draw?" he asked, as he pushed his classes further up on his nose. He wasn't sure she would but when she smiled and nodded her head he stood up and led her over to his desk, pulling out a bag of Jason's crayons and one of his coloring books. When she was settled at his desk he told her where he would be and she seemed content to stay where she was.

While Clark tended to the little girl, Lois found a chair for Alexandra and asked her first how her daughter had been fairing.

The woman before her and the man not far away had saved her daughter, or helped to with Superman's aid and Alexandra was grateful. She knew that she was still in danger, and that what she was about to do would further that, but today she had come to the decision that she could no longer live life in such terrible fear. "I didn't know what he was up too. You see he was married to his work, and when we got a divorce I moved to Maine. Christina still had a half year of schooling to finish and the plan was for me to get her when it finished. For a while our conversations on the phone were normal, as they should be, and then she became very distant, and I knew something was wrong. Martin told me she was just having trouble adjusting to some new changes in their lives and I blindly believed him. When the murders began, I phoned him and then he started calling me telling me to keep to my business and not to worry about her. I didn't know what to do because after all he was on the FBI," she said, as she accepted the tissue Lois offered her.

Clark stood behind Lois listening, feeling his temper rise at what she was revealing to them. She told them all about the cult her husband had started and said when they married 11 years ago he had been interested in Demons and such, but that she had never thought of it as anything too bad.

"They believed they were purifying themselves when they abused those girls, sexually," she practically spat out, as she shut her eyes. "I don't know what to do now, we get threatening calls all the time and I sleep with a gun next to my bed. His influence runs deep and there are many people out there from his cult that would gladly find Christina and me and make us pay," she said.

Lois shut off her recorder and picked up her phone. She asked for Officer Martinez and when she got him on the line she asked simply that he come to the Planet. When she hung up, she faced the woman again. "My friend knows several trust worthy people, both in our local force and in the FBI, who don't agree with what he did. He can get you and Christina into a safe house," she said, vaguely familiar with that program.

Alexandra looked over at her daughter. "I would do anything to keep her safe, thank you Miss Lane, and Mr. Kent, and please tell Superman thank you as well."

As she got ready to leave, Clark heard something, a familiar click, and his eyes found a young man wearing a leather coat standing off to the left of the doors leading out to the upper lobby. Using his heat vision, without anyone knowing, he heated the gun until the man was forced to drop it and then as the man ran out he excused himself and walked after him.

Thomas wasn't sure what happened with his gun but as he made his way outside of the planet he was prepared to try again. Before he could think of which way to walk he found himself standing in front of Superman and realized what had happened. "She must die," he said, not fearing the man in front of him.

"I think you have the wrong idea," said Superman, as he grabbed the man by his arms and lifted him into the air. Thomas lost his composure and shut his eyes and began to pray that he wouldn't die himself.

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After lunch, Martha and Ben took Jason to the Aquarium driving, Clarks truck. On the way Jason chatted up a storm talking about school and his friend Rebecca. "She is my best friend and she knows all of my best secrets," he said, thinking of the biggest one he had told her about his daddy. As they pulled up to the aquarium, Jason looked out and saw all of the people milling around and began to be afraid.

Finding a place to park was not easy, but Ben finally found a spot and shut off the truck. "Well now Jason, where should we go first?" he asked

Martha had been ready to get out of the truck but when she looked at Jason, she saw the fear in his eyes. "Oh honey, this is quite a safe place, see those children over there," she said, pointing them out as Ben waited on the other side of their grandson.

He saw the other children but he also saw all of the adults, all of them were people he didn't know and he was really frightened. "I don't want to do this," he said, as his voice faltered. When his Granny hugged him, he held on tight, and when they began to leave, he started to feel better. "Are you mad at me?" he asked, as they headed for his house.

Ben reached his free hand out and held Jason's. "No not at all, we want you to feel safe," he said, worried about this special little boy. When they got home it was as if nothing had ever happened. Jason went out in the back yard and began to drive his power wheels jeep around, unaware of anything accept for the fun he was having.

In the kitchen, Martha fixed Ben a cup of coffee before she joined him at the table. "Maybe they do need to take him to see someone," she said, worried about their grandson, but then she shook her head knowing that there was likely no one that could be trusted to keep the things Jason was likely to reveal.

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When they arrived home, Clark could tell his mom was worried about something, and when Lois asked Jason how the aquarium was he got up from playing in the family room and ran to his room. "Mom?" Clark asked, as Lois walked next to him.

"We took him there today and when we arrived he was terrified, and asked us to take him home, so we did. When we arrived he was fine, and has been since then," she said.

Clark gave her a hug and then went in to get Jason and take him flying so they could talk.

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Seated on a warm sandy beach on a small island in the middle of the Pacific, Jason drew faces in the wet sand, while his daddy held on to him. He had on only a pair of swim trunks and his pajama's lay further up on the beach to keep dry. His daddy was also wearing trunks and they had splashed in the water reminding him of the last time they had played like that. "Daddy, is it bad for me to be afraid of lots of people?" Jason asked. He felt his father's hands lifting him off of the sand and when he was facing him he saw love in those eyes that matched his own.

"No, you had something happen that was very frightening, but Jason, not everyone wants to hurt people, and a large part of the time people are good," he answered, knowing this to be the truth of things.

Jason sighed and then walked the one step needed so that he could wrap his arms around his father's neck. "I don't want to be afraid anymore," he said softly.

Clark knew it was time to get home, and after hugging Jason, he stood up and helped his little boy back into his warm pajamas. Once Jason was ready he spun and a moment later he had on his cape and outfit that had been lying close to Jason's things. With his son secure in his arms, he flew them as high as he could before he began the journey home.

Jason was quiet as they flew home and was barely awake when they touched down in the backyard. When his mommy came out to them, he reached out for her and snuggled into her arms as she carried him back to his room. "I'm going to brave," he mumbled, as he felt his body and head touch the smooth soft surface of his bed. He felt Lucky snuggle in beside him and could tell she had been given a bath. Jason hugged her as she licked his face and was soon asleep.

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The next afternoon, when they arrived at the aquarium Jason was still afraid, but he wasn't willing to leave this time. Holding both of his grandparent's hands he led them around to the places he knew, seeing Manatee, stingrays, and all of the great creatures of the sea and other water formations. He had a tickle in the back of his throat and he felt pretty tired but he wasn't going to let that spoil his fun.

While their son enjoyed the aquarium with his grandparents, Lois and Clark finished up the article they had taken from Alexandra Jones, or Wilson as it now was, since she had changed her name back to her maiden one. Perry looked it over as they waited and when he looked at them they knew he was pleased.

"I would say this deserves the front page," he said and when they left he was calling down to copy to run the story in tomorrows early morning addition.

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**AN:** _As usual my thanks to Mr. Firenze for the beta reading of this chapter. To the rest of you, I hope you enjoy this, and I realize my muse went totally dark on you guys with this cult thing but it is going to clear up so not to worry. Please Read and leave me a review, they always help._


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: Fearless**

Thursday, one more day of work until the weekend, and for once in her life, Lois was looking forward to it. On Wednesday there had been a preliminary hearing against Agent Jones and the clergy in his cult, and the press had been covering that closely. Call after call came into the Planet from people claiming to know some of the men on trial, and trying to weed out the real calls from those that just wanted their names in the paper was a bear of a task.

While Lois poured over all the notes she had taken from interviews of victims of the cult, Clark had his own problems dealing with the horrible famine taking place in Africa. He spent most of the night and a large percent of his day trying to help out in everyway that he could and even with his help, the number of people dying over there was staggering. The one thing he was glad for was his Mom and Ben being at home with Jason so that their little boy could enjoy his week off from school.

Usually having his parents so busy bothered Jason, but with his Granny and Pappa there giving him their undivided attention, he hardly noticed them being gone. The little boy had stopped having bad dreams and had stopped worrying about crowds and was back to being a normal playful five year old child.

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As her evening was finally coming to an end, Lois's cell began to ring. She answered it, finding Mrs. Davies on the other end. "No, that shouldn't be a problem, I'll need to call Clark's parents and make sure they don't mind keeping her tomorrow," she said, hanging up the phone. She dialed home and smiled as she heard Jason's voice. "Hello Munchkin, will you let me talk to your granny?" she asked.

On his end, Jason was holding on to one end of an old sock while Lucky was trying to pull it out of his hand. "Granny's cooking dinner," he said, laughing as Lucky growled playfully at him. When his mommy asked again Jason let go of the sock and took the phone into the kitchen where his Granny was standing near the oven. After giving her the phone, he got back to his puppy and began the game all over again.

"Hi Martha, I have a favor to ask, and you don't have to say yes, but one of Jason's friends needs a place to stay tomorrow and I was hoping maybe she could stay there with you and Ben," Lois said, as a strong arm snaked around her. Lois shut her eyes as she felt his lips graze over her neck and was glad that they were one of the only people left in the office. She knew Clark wouldn't kiss her like this unless no one was watching.

Martha smiled and told Lois that would be just fine, and after she put the phone back in its place, she told Jason it was time for a bath, as well as a hair cut. He did what she wanted without a fuss and by the time her roast was ready to take out of the oven, Jason's hair was cut short like his father's. Martha had asked Lois if she wanted her to trim it and Lois had agreed that it was past time to do that.

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After a hearty dinner, everyone settled in the family room, and while the adults talked, Jason went to his playroom and got out his fire truck and ambulance taking them to his bed room to play.

Martha could tell her son was tired which was something that happened very rarely. Clark needed very little sleep and it had been that way since he was 16 years old. "Were you able to help those people?" she asked, after Lois finished telling them about the trial.

"Not as much as I would have liked," he said, as he and Lois sat together. "Uh mom, Lois and I talked it over and we decided you two should be the first to officially know our secret," he said, as he bit back a smile. He watched as his mother smiled at them and when he told her they were engaged Martha gave both of them huge hugs.

Hearing all the noise in the family room, Jason left his toys and ran out to the adults. "Why are you guys talking so much?" he asked. He smiled before he ran over to his daddy and laughed as he was lifted into the air. Once he was sitting on his father's lap, Jason learned that his grandparents knew about his mommy and daddy wanting to be married, and he didn't have much to say. He knew that too and he wasn't nearly as upset, but that didn't really interest him. As the adults continued to talk he yawned and rubbed his eyes, but stayed where he was watching as his Mommy showed his Granny the pretty ring on her finger. He listened as his Pappa talked about a big fishing trip he was going to take with a friend when they went back to Montana, and yawned again as his daddy recalled a fishing trip he had taken as a boy.

Clark hadn't thought of that fishing trip in a long time, and wondered if some day he and Jason would be able to take trips like that. He realized then that Jason had gone to sleep, and stood up sliding his right arm under Jason's legs, turning him so that he was cradled in his arms. Clark waited as his mom, Lois, and Ben gave Jason kisses before he carried him down the hall to his room. As he laid Jason down, his son opened his eyes, telling him that he wasn't tired even though a yawn told him otherwise. "It's past your bedtime," said Clark, as Jason pouted. Clark pulled the blankets over him and Jason turned away before he could give him a kiss. Standing there a moment, the tall handsome man watched his son and then left him to go back to sleep, hoping that Jason would stay in bed without any undo fuss.

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After spending a little more time with his parents, Clark and Lois retired to their room, with Lois leading the way still wearing her skirt and blouse from work. _One more day, _Lois thought to herself as she started over toward the closet only to find Clark's arm wrap around her waist and pull her back to him. She tilted her head to one side as his lips brushed over her neck the way they had at the office, only now they were at home and the door was shut. As she felt his teeth graze the skin at the back of her ear Lois shuddered, wanting more than just his kisses.

This past week had been very busy for them, and Clark had missed moments such as these. He knew what she wanted as he brought his left hand up to cup around her breast rubbing his thumb over the front even though she was still fully clothed.

Feeling his arousal pushed against the small of her back, Lois knew this was getting to him, and reached between him to rub her hand against the front of his jeans. There was something to say for a man with super speed, and Lois had gotten used to these moments when neither of them could wait. Once they were undressed, he lifted her up, and Lois wrapped her legs around his waist as their lips came together in a fiery kiss. She dipped her tongue into his mouth as she reached behind him and ran her hands through his hair thick hair. A moment later she realized she was sitting on her vanity and broke the kiss for only a moment before she realized how this was going to go, praying that they could keep it quiet enough for Jason and Clark's parents.

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Jason woke up remembering Granny's cookies. After getting his trusty wooden sword that his Pappa had made for him, and his mommy had said he could keep as long as he didn't hurt anyone, Jason walked to the door of his room and opened it without a sound. He tiptoed down the hall and into the kitchen where he set his sword on the table before he walked to the counter and reached up feeling for the plate which had to be close by. He pouted when he couldn't feel it and then went to his bathroom and got his little stool. He got it to the kitchen and stepped up seeing the cookies shoved all the way against the back of the counter.

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The authorities had been able to take care of the domestic dispute, and after they arrived, Superman flew back across the city and landed in the back yard. As he got to the door he saw Jason doing his best to get at the cookies his mom had made. He opened the door without a sound and shut it changing back into his pajama bottoms before he walked up behind his son and gently lifted him away. "I think you know that those are only for little boys who eat a good lunch and dinner," he said gently, as he turned Jason around and sat him down on the counter.

"Granny would give one to me," he said grumpily, not willing to look at his daddy. He was quiet as his dad carried him back to his room and when he was put to bed, Jason turned away from him hugging Lucky, who had stayed in bed. When he heard the door shut he grumbled. "He's a mean daddy, Lucky." The small sleepy boy yawned and then shut his eyes well on his way back to sleep.

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Early the next morning, as Lois and Clark were sitting down to breakfast with his parents, Helen arrived with Rebecca who was asleep in her older brother's arms. Lois led Grant who was 12 years old back to her room, and had him put Rebecca down in the bed she and Clark shared. The young boy was tall like his father with brown eyes and gangly brown hair. He didn't look very happy but said goodbye when Lois spoke to him. Once they had gone, Lois returned to breakfast and found out from Clark about Jason's sneaking into the kitchen last night, and then laughed as Martha informed her son that he used to do the same thing.

After they ate, and right before they left, Lois's cell went off. At the same time Superman was needed downtown to help with the mob of people at the courthouse. She waved at him as he spun into his suit and then headed outside to her car. Getting to work took her twice as long as usual, and when Lois finally got to her desk the chief had called an office wide meeting. She grabbed her notebook and pen and told the chief Clark was already downtown covering things before their meeting got going.

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The day was turning out to be beautiful, and Jason managed to get his Pappa to walk with them around the block as he drove Rebecca in his truck. "It goes over stuff, too," he said, showing her as he ran over a stick, before his Pappa reminded him not to drive in other people's yards. When they got back to the house Jason wanted to go again but his Pappa said once was enough, so they road around in the backyard for a while.

"This is boring. I want to go down to that pond we saw and get some tadpoles. Grant says frogs have their babies there, and we could sell them and maybe I could get a car like yours," she said. Jason grabbed her hand and they ran in the house past Martha to his room. He got his red boots on while Rebecca put on her pink boots, both pairs being water proof, before they headed back outside.

Martha called out to the children before they went back outside, giving both of them some fruit in a bag, and getting hugs before they left. Once they were outside she got back to making homemade chicken soup.

Getting away from the house was easy, and as they ran down the sidewalk, Jason had to stop once to use his inhaler, and then after that the two children chose to walk holding hands. They went all the way to the other side of the block, and had to climb over a tall chain link fence but they didn't seem to fear that. The pond was further away than either child realized but they were not worried as they talked about frogs and bugs.

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After the office wide meeting, Lois headed downtown and realized when she got there that she had left her cell phone at her desk. It was a mob as the news crews on TV had reported, and as Lois found Jimmy, she led the way through the crowd getting a good view of the stairs to the court house. She watched as Jimmy took a few photos and then the noise of the crowd grew very loud as the doors to the court house opened and Agent Jones's high priced attorneys, followed by the man himself, walked down the stairs.

Lois yelled out her questions and one of the attorneys saw her and signaled for her to be let through. She left Jimmy behind and was told that there would be a case against Jones and his cult in June, but that was all he was willing to tell her. Lois felt a small victory as she walked back to Jimmy and the same attorney talked to the news crews telling them the same news that the trial would be in June.

As they walked to find a cab she saw Superman still helping with crowd control, and hoped that after today their lives would be less busy. When they got back to the office she had calls waiting and started with Joe Martinez who had been in the court room. She wrote down what he said about how the trial had gone and he told her that she couldn't quote him, but that he thought the guy would get hung and duly served. "No, I won't say a word," said Lois, as she saw Clark walk over to his desk. She hung up the phone and walked over to him, offering him a smile as he looked at her. "I think after today we can go back to having a normal life," she said, smiling at him before his phone began to ring. Knowing that a few of the women around were looking at them Lois went back to her desk shaking her head as she sat down to filter through more calls.

Talking to Benny was like pulling teeth, and Clark hated it, but the guy new the inside better than anyone, and for some reason, years ago, he had found a knack for getting the slimy weasel to talk. "Um, can we talk about prices after I get down there?" he asked, as a young secretary walked by his desk giving him the once over. "Golly, you know I won't tell unless you say otherwise," he said. When he hung up he gave Lois a wink and headed out to see what Benny had for him.

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As Martha hung up the phone, Ben walked into the house, shaking his head. "The line is constantly busy, and the operator said there is an overflow of calls. I tried Lois's cell phone but she hasn't called back. Where are they, Ben?" she asked, doing her best not to panic. Martha had gone out to check on the children a half our after they went back outside and found the gate open. Even Lucky was gone.

Ben had looked all around the block but found no sign of his grandson, the dog, or the little girl under their care, and he had thought of a way to get Clark and Lois home. "If we called out to Clark would he come?" He asked, as he hugged Martha close.

"Only if he is listening for us and with work being so busy it's doubtful but we can give it a try," she said.

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Having no idea about the worry they were causing, Jason and Rebecca arrived at the pond with his small jar, and her bug catcher. The ground was really wet and their boots stuck in the mud making a squashing sound as they walked, which both of them found to be very funny. Both children had tucked their jeans into their boots, which went all the way up to their knees, and when they got to the edge of the pond they stepped in the water and began to look around. The pond had a shallow section and as the children walked around, the water became murky.

"I don't see anything. What does a tadpole look like?" Jason asked, as he looked at his friend. He watched as she tried to think, and then suddenly there was a huge splash a moment before they saw Lucky swim out into the water ducking her head under before she came up with a turtle. "Oh Lucky, that's not a toy," Jason said, as he and Rebecca got out of the water and clopped their way toward his dog.

Lucky yelped as the turtle snapped at her nose, and then walked over to Jason and licked his face before she ran to the other side of the pond.

"She doesn't have her leash," Jason said, as he grabbed Rebecca's hand and began to run up onto the drier ground. "Lucky, come on girl," he called out, as they went after her. They were heading toward a huge wooded area that was almost like a marsh due to the heavy rainfall over the past few weeks.

Rebecca made Jason stop running and use his inhaler before they continued on, going up over a rise as they saw the woods. "Maybe we should call for your daddy," Rebecca said, not sure about going where Lucky was headed.

"My daddy is mean," he said, and tugged her with him.

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In a dark alley, one Clark wouldn't go in if he were any other guy, he found Benny smoking something and asked what the man had for him.

Benny gave the reporter a once over before he snubbed out his cigarette on the side of the building he was leaning against. "Money first," he said. Clark gave him a fifty, and Benny smiled. "Word is the Judge has been threatened by this cult group, they got their ties in the ritzies you know what I mean?" he asked.

"Uh, I think so," Clark said, as he took down the notes. He couldn't go on Benny's word alone, but this was a start. "Do you have any names on whose doing the threats?" Clark asked, and gave Benny one last fifty. The short man ran his dirty hand through his blond greasy hair before he spoke a name. "You didn't hear it from me," he said, and then he left.

By the time the young reporter got to the Planet, he was ready to start verifying what Benny had said, and as he walked into the bullpen, Lois ran to him with a look of panic in her brown eyes. "What is it?" he asked, and when she told him Rebecca, Jason, and Lucky had left the yard, he pulled her to the stairwell. Once they were inside he twirled into his suit and they took off.

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After Rebecca mentioned his daddy, Jason realized they had to keep very quiet and not talk. It was hard to do, but the two smart children figured out a code as they trudged through the woods. It was very damp and creepy, but Rebecca wasn't going to be afraid. They heard Lucky barking in the distance and hurried toward where they thought she was.

At the house Clark and Lois heard his mother's side of things, and then he spun back into his suit. "I'll find him," he said, not pleased that Jason had run off, and again realizing that he should not have left Jason's room without dealing with his son's anger.

He flew up in the air scanning the neighborhood, looking at each house, before he spread his search further. He listened for the children first, and then heard Lucky barking, realizing where they were. He flew to the woods and came down through the trees finding Jason's dog barking at a snake. It was a King snake and a good sized one. "Lucky," he said, as the dog looked at him before she came over to his side. "Jason, Rebecca!" he called out, listening for their voices but didn't hear anything. He used his X-ray vision and found them several yards away crouched down, and realized what his son was up too. Jason was trying to hide, and Superman wasn't sure whether to be angry or amazed that his little boy was already figuring out how to hide from him by not talking. Knowing that it would be easier to get Lucky home first, he picked her up and zoomed her up past the trees and got her to the house in less than a minute.

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"Is he gone yet?" Rebecca whispered, cupping her hand over Jason's ear.

"No, I'm right behind you," Superman said, standing with his arms folded over his chest.

Jason looked at Rebecca for a moment afraid, and then he remembered the cookies, and pursed his lips. "I'm mad at you, daddy," he said, as he stood up and looked at his father right in the eyes.

At that moment Superman realized Jason had told Rebecca his secret and then he found himself angry at his little boy and no longer amused. "No more talking Jason," he said, as he saw fear register in his eyes.

Both of the children came to him, and once they were in his arms, he flew them into the air heading home.

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As she paced in the kitchen, Lois bit the nail on her thumb, wondering where the children had gone, and if they were safe. She was also trying to figure out what she was going to do with Jason when he did come home. His last few no no's had been things she had not had to deal with and as she looked out at the back yard she saw Superman touch down with both children held safely in his strong arms. Lois ran to the door and opened it, realizing immediately that something was wrong the moment she saw Superman's face. Jason was clinging to him sobbing, and Rebecca was also crying but not as much as her son. When Lois reached his side, she took Rebecca and led her inside, not sure what was going on with them.

Now that he was alone with Jason he wasn't sure what he wanted to say. Superman knew telling Jason at this age was a huge risk and yet he had never prepared himself for the eventuality that Jason would tell another person his secret. "Jason," he said gently, as he knelt down trying to put his son down, only to find he wouldn't allow that. He floated in the air enough to sit down and held on to his son waiting for him to calm down.

"She won't tell anyone," he finally said, as he dared to look at his daddy.

"That does not matter to me Jason!" he said, a little too harsh. Again Jason cried and again The Man of Steel waited for him to calm down. "Jason, do you know why she shouldn't know my secret?" he asked gently. He felt Jason give one nod of the head before he shook it. "It isn't a matter of her telling people, what matters is keeping her safe, like your mother and I try to keep you safe. I can watch over you very easily because you live in my home, our home, but Rebecca does not and if anyone ever found out, she might get hurt," he said, knowing that Jason had to realize this very adult situation and understand it.

Jason sniffed. "What do we do then," he said, feeling less afraid now that they were talking.

"I don't know yet," Superman admitted, as he wiped the remaining tears from Jason's face. "Right now your mom and I need to figure out your punishment for running off like you did, so you need to go in our room and wait for us," he said, hugging him again as Lois came out of the house. He watched as Lois gave him a hug and when Jason was inside he stood up on his feet and changed into his work clothes. "Jason told Rebecca about my identity," said Clark, watching as a look of horror followed by anger crossed her face. He reached out and stopped her from going after him.

Lois realized that she had to cool off and instead of going inside she walked into Clark's arms. "How do we teach him to listen to us? He has never done anything like this," she said. "My mother would have blistered my bottom for running off like he did but I won't do that to him," she admitted.

As he held her he agreed that wasn't the way to go. "What about taking away his toys, all of them for a week, he can color or read his books but no toys or TV, and no friends here to play with him," Clark said.

"That is a big punishment, but I guess what he did today is pretty big, too. What about Rebecca?" she asked.

Clark thought of using the memory wipe and knew that it was the only way to keep her safe, but then he also knew Jason well enough, that he would likely find a way to tell her again sometime as they grew older. "I think a memory wipe," he said, as he let her go. Clark took her hand and they entered the house.

They found Rebecca sleeping in Jason's bed, and Lois watched as Clark knelt down and touched his lips to her forehead. It was over in less than five seconds and when he came out of the room she shut the door. "Someday you will have to tell me how that works," she whispered, as they opened the door to their room.

Jason had his arms crossed over his chest and had a pout on his face, but it went away as they walked over to him. "Daddy, I'm sorry I told her," he said, and looked at his father's eyes as he knelt down in front of him. He no longer saw anger there, only love and sadness.

"I know you are, but you did it even though I told you not too, and you left the yard when you knew better," he said, as Jason looked down and away from his eyes.

When Jason leaned against her, Lois held on to him knowing he was afraid, which she hoped would teach him to listen to them. When Clark told him his punishment, she hugged him as he cried. He loved his cars and other toys and not being able to have them for a week would be hard on him.

"Do I get to hear my music?" Jason asked, and cried more when his daddy said 'no'. He listened as his father told him about Rebecca not being able to remember the secret and felt alone again. "What if I tell her again," he said, needing to know, and Lois spoke up on that one.

"If you choose to tell her again, then we will spank you, do you understand?" she asked, as she felt more tears fall against her shirt. She had swatted him a few times in his life but had made the decision to do something she did not agree with, hoping that would be enough to convince him not to tell anyone else.

The last and hardest thing he had to do was tell his Granny and Pappa he was sorry. Jason tried to crawl under the bed but Lois caught him and carried him out to the family room where they were sitting. It took Jason nearly twenty minutes to get up the courage to face them and after hugs and kisses were given, Lois took him back to her room to give him a bath and then get his dinner and put him to bed early.

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Early Saturday morning, Clark loaded the trunk of Lois's car up with his mom's and Ben's luggage. While he tended to that, Martha was holding Jason who was sad to see her leaving.

"I don't want you to go away," Jason said, as he hugged her close.

Martha rubbed her hand over his back as Clark came inside. It was time to go, and as she stood up, he began to cry. "Jason, Pappa and I will call you tonight. How about that?" she asked, as Lois came to get Jason.

Lois knew he was sad and coaxed him into her arms with the promise of French toast. He rested his cheek against her left shoulder, sniffing as his daddy came over and gave them both a kiss and hug. Once they were gone, Lois shut the door and held Jason closer as he continued to sniff. "Do you think we should try cinnamon?" she asked, as she carried him into the kitchen.

"Will it taste good?' he asked, as she put him down on the counter. He loved spending time with his mommy and was glad his punishment didn't include being left out of helping her cook good food. As his mommy mixed up the eggs, Jason watched and yawned as he rubbed his eyes. When she was ready he got to take the bread and put it in the egg mixture and then watched as she put the first one in the Cast iron skillet. His mommy wasn't the best cook but the two things she did make the best were pancakes and French toast.

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**AN: **_I know, I know I have this thing for Jason in the story but he's a great character because he is a kid and because there are limitless ways for him to create bits of trouble here and there. I did give you a little romance with Lois and Clark…at any rate I hope you guys like this and tell your friend to read this I need more reviews….And a big thank you goes out to Mr. Firenze for Beta reading this from it's beginning, and along with me hounding him to hurry…hehe Thanks again… _


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: It's Not Easy**

The morning drive to work was quiet, and while Lois drove, Clark was deep in thought over what they had heard on the news while eating breakfast in their kitchen. Judge Riley, the man who had set a court date for Agent Jones, had been found dead early this morning in his chambers. The night watchman at the courthouse found him shot in the head, and there had been no finger prints or any murder weapon found on the premises. Benny had called it right when he said that the cult had members in high places, and Clark knew as Lois pulled the car into the parking structure to the right of the Planet, that he would have to try and contact the little weasel to try and get more out of him.

On Friday, Lois had thought they would not be hearing as much about the cult, but the Monday morning news broadcast had brought it all back to the forefront. Someone wasn't happy that Agent Jones was going to be put on trial, and she, like Clark, wanted to find out just how deep this group ran. It had been a quiet reflective drive once Jason had been dropped off at school, and Lois worried about her baby, wondering if the cult would come after all of them for helping Alexandra and her daughter Christina. As she pulled into her parking spot, she looked at Clark who was gathering his things as well as hers. "Do you think maybe we should get Jason from school and keep him with us?" She asked, finally voicing her concerns.

The worry was evident in her voice as she asked him that, and Clark looked at her before he took one of her hands in his own. "He would be safer there than he would be here, and I don't think they would try anything that careless," he said, nearly confident of that. He reached up and cupped the right side of her cheek and leaned in kissing her soft lips tenderly before they both left the car to head upstairs and find out what the game plan was for the day.

As they entered the bullpen, everyone was already gathering in the large meeting room closest to Perry's office, and after dropping their things off at their desks, Lois and Clark walked with the rest of the crowd to the back office.

Perry was already there waiting and when the last person filed in he began. "As I'm sure all of you are aware, it seems the cult is not ready for us to abandon them. I want answers people. I want to know how this Judge's murder is going to affect our daily lives. "Kent, Lane, I want you down at the courthouse now, go find out what you can about that murder and get me a front page on the news. Society, I want to know if there will be a set curfew again…."

As the meeting went on, Lois and Clark left the room and got what they needed before they headed out of the office. As they headed to the elevator, Lois was already on her cell phone dialing down to the police department. When she asked for officer Martinez, he was already gone, and she hoped as the elevator reached the ground level, that she and Clark would see him at the courthouse.

Outside the weather was gloomy and chilly for a day in late March, and as he and Lois headed downtown by foot, and passed an alley, they heard someone call out to them. He looked and saw Benny, and realized Lois had also seen. "Uh well, come on," he said, knowing that she wouldn't be happy if he left her out of this.

Benny looked at the two as they cautiously approached him, and knew who Lois Lane was. He signaled for them to follow him, and once they were hidden behind a pile of crates he waited for something.

As Clark handed him a fifty, Lois had to bite her tongue. She had always wondered where he got his leads from, and now it seemed she was learning his secrets. The little man seemed pleased, winking at her, while Lois had to once again bite her tongue in order not to push him away.

"What did I tell you," he said, pleased that he had predicted things right. He never said the Judge would end up dead, but he did tell Clark that the Judge had been threatened, and now it was history. "I got names but it's gonna cost yah," he said.

Knowing well that Lois was going to want to discuss how he spent his money, Clark hesitated and then slipped the man another fifty. "So, uh who, um, did this to him?"

With the fifty held tight in his dirty hands, Benny smiled at the man and winked again at the woman knowing she was getting angry, but that didn't stop him, she did have nice legs. "Brutus works for the cult, he's their handy man, likely responsible for dropping those two little girls in the dumpster that night Superman found the one all burned up," he said, not realizing that it was a sore spot with both reporters. "They still hang around the east docks, and for now that's all I got for you." He eyed the woman again before he turned around and walked away.

As they discreetly left the alley and headed the five blocks down to the courthouse, Lois was trying to figure out if she should yell at Clark here or wait until they got home. This man seemed to know his news, and as they walked along in silence she realized that while she had her ways of getting the news, Clark had his, but still he had just given the man 100 dollars and that was a lot of money to hand over to him. Lois also knew that the Planet wouldn't like knowing that he did things that way but then again she had, once or twice, paid a few informants for information as well. "Clark, I think you should go to the docks and let me cover things at the court house," she finally said as she stopped walking.

Her words pulled him from his thoughts. Benny's mention of the little girl who had been brutally murdered by the cult had haunted him, though he did manage to compose himself as he faced the woman he loved. "Um, if you think that is what is best, Lois," he said, maintaining his unsure speech pattern while they were out in public.

Knowing him the way she did, Lois could tell that the talk of the girls had hurt him and she reached out and took his hand. "That part is over," she said, gently. "I promise to wait at the courthouse until you get back," she said, realizing the danger they were both in. She wanted to kiss him but their relationship was still pretty exclusive and public displays of affection especially during the day were still things they avoided.

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During the day, the docks at the east pier were still pretty dangerous, and as Superman hovered high enough above the trees to keep from revealing his presence, his hearing picked up some chatter from a local warehouse. He used his x-ray vision to scan the warehouses and finally found who was doing the chatter. There were two burly looking men seated in old chairs counting out a large sum of money. As he listened he finally heard a name he wanted, and continued to listen as the two men talked.

"You sure they don't got no clues?" Jobe asked, as he chewed on the end of his fancy cigar. He had on a long striped, button down shirt covered in grease and some other substance. His face was dirty and his hands had callused over from hard labor.

Brutus took a puff from his cigar as he finished counting up their money. "They don't got nothing to pen us. Now shut up about that, you never knew who could be listening in," he said, thinking of Superman. As they began to put the money away, something crashed through the roof, and as both of them drew their guns and as the dust settled they found the very person he had been worried about. Brutus fired his gun first and in speeds faster than he could even think to tie his shoe, he and Jobe were tied up and being flown into the sky.

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Downtown at the main precinct, life was busy for the officers who worked there. The noise in the main processing room was almost unbearable, and as Officer Mooney began another call to the mayor's office, the noise suddenly stopped. He looked up as Superman arrived with two men, and put his phone down as the hero approached. "What do we have here?" he asked, knowing he had seen both of these men somewhere before.

"Officer, I think you will find what these two men have to say very worth while." Two more officers came over and Superman watched as the criminals were taken away before he flew off.

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It was close to noon by the time he got to the courthouse, and when he stepped inside he used his hearing to find Lois. Down the large entry hall and to the right he found the woman he loved talking to Officer Martinez and when he arrived he greeted the officer with a hand shake.

Seeing that the two reporters wanted to talk, Officer Martinez bid them farewell and went off to the station, and once he was gone, Lois turned to Clark and asked, "So did you find anything out?" His smile was her reward.

"I found Brutus and another man counting out a large pile of money, whoever hired them paid them well, and both of them are at the police station. What did you find out?" he asked, seeing a frown on her face. It was obvious that she hadn't found out as much as he had, and as they made their way to the front of the courthouse, he stopped walking holding her close for a moment before he pulled her with him into a vacant chamber. Before she could ask him anything gun shots were heard along with screams. "Stay here," he said.

While he left through the window after changing into Superman, Lois thought of Jason and thought of Clark's words before he left to help the people outside. He told her to stay there, but her reporter's instinct kicked in, and once she heard the gunshots stop, she ran out of the room and was soon out on the front steps of the courthouse. She saw a red minivan speeding away and Superman hot on its tracks. As he took care of the van, Lois looked around where she was standing, seeing that only a few people had gotten hurt. One man had been shot and looked like he was getting the care he needed from one of the guards who ran the security check in the courthouse. Another woman was sitting on the steps looking stunned, and Lois walked over to her. "Are you alright?" she asked.

A voice to her left caught Gina's attention and as she was about to answer a very loud explosion happened a few blocks away. "I…" she tried to say, but the woman who had asked if she was alright had already began to run down the steps toward where the van had driven to.

Running for three blocks had taken her breath away, and had surely put blisters on her feet, but Lois didn't care as she arrived at the scene. Superman was there standing by what remained of the van, and crowds of people were standing around. Immediately she got to her job and began to ask questions about what had happened, relieved to see that Superman was safe.

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Alice knew the moment she picked Jason up from his school that something was upsetting him. Usually he was very cheerful and almost always excited to tell her exactly what had been going on with his life, but now as she drove to the house she shared with her husband, the little boy just stared out the window. "Jason, how was your day today?" she finally asked, hoping that a little prompting would help.

The one thing he didn't like about riding in other peoples cars was not having a DVD player, and then as Jason thought of that, he remembered that he was still in trouble from the other day. "Fine," he said, as he watched the many buildings they passed as they drove through the city. His aunt and uncle lived on the same side of town that his daddy's house was on, and as they drove on, the car began to slow down and finally stopped.

It was evident that there had been some sort of accident, or that the city crews were working on the roads again still fixing damage caused by the quake that had taken place 7 months ago. "It looks like we might be a while," Alice said, looking in the review mirror at Jason.

"May we listen to music?" he asked, hoping that maybe his aunt was unaware of his punishment.

"I'm afraid we cannot. Your mom told me that you are being punished this week," Alice said, suggesting that they play a game of I spy, but Jason just shook his head and returned to looking out the window.

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By the time she had gotten the full story and had returned to the courthouse, Lois was regretting running four blocks in heels. Inside, seated on an ornately carved wooden bench, Lois had slipped off her left shoe and was rubbing her heel which already had an angry looking blister forming there.

"You couldn't wait," Clark said, making his way to her in the very deserted hall way.

"You know how I am," she said, wincing as her other foot began to hurt.

Watching her for only a moment, Clark walked over to where she was sitting and knelt down. The hall was now completely deserted and the woman he loved was in pain. He gently pulled her hands away and began to rub the bottom of her foot as Lois leaned her head back sighing in relief. "The police believe that the van was operated by remote control, including the gun or what was left of the gun found inside," he said, as he pressed the pads of his thumbs against the bottom of her foot, trying to massage the soreness away.

Lois opened her eyes and looked at him. "Any idea on who do this sort of thing?" she asked, as he finished with her left foot and picked up her right one slipping her shoe off before he began to massage it in the same manner he had done with her other foot.

"They think it is linked to Agent Jones, scare tactics is what they are calling it," he said, in a quiet sure voice.

His hands on her feet felt like heaven, and by the time he finished, she managed to stand up with his help. "The next time we go out like this remind me to buy a pair of flats," she said, still in a great deal of pain. She held his hand as she hobbled down the hall and once they were outside she managed to get to the cab he whistled for and they headed back for the Planet.

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Even though the sun was setting, the yard in the back of her house was fenced in and well protected. The neighborhood that Alice lived in with her husband Perry was one of the first ones built in the suburbs, and it was still one of the safest being close to the city. When she and Jason arrived home he had asked to play outside and was still at it swinging a stick around as he ran around acting like a pirate. Alice had just put dinner into the oven and was watching him play when he stopped to take another puff from his inhaler. He had done that a few times today, but had not wanted to come inside, and when he had this much energy it was always better for him to play it off. The doorbell ringing alerted her that Lois and Clark had arrived and after wiping her hands on the blue apron she wore, the silver haired woman walked through a long hall to the front of her house and answered her door.

When the door opened, Alice greeted him with a hug, and Clark felt welcomed. He had never worried that she or Perry would be angry at the relationship he was now in with Lois, because they both knew how much he loved her and their son, and how much he had respected Richard for what he had done while he was gone. "Hi Alice," he greeted as he followed her down a long hallway to the back of the house where the kitchen was located.

"You two managed to get away early," she said, hoping that maybe Perry would as well. Alice had learned a long time ago that most of her nights would be spent alone. Perry's work for the paper was important and she had never begrudged him of that.

"Um yes, well I think Lois hurt her foot today trying to get a story in town," he said, hearing his son playing outside. He scanned through the walls and then focused back on Alice when she asked him more about Lois.

Outside, Jason coughed as he stabbed his sword through the chest of his enemy. "That will show you," he said, as he pulled his sword to his side ignoring the tickle in his throat as he coughed again. He lifted his left arm and wiped it under his nose which had been running since he come outside, but again he didn't care as he chased after Captain Wooden Leg and his band of bad smelling pirates. "Look out below!" Jason said, as he sent his sword sailing in the air. It flew only a foot before it dropped. "Gotcha good," he said, running over to pick his sword up again. He saw his daddy come out of the house but he continued to play. "Buckle up the hatches and throw the anchor over, we have a storm coming in," he ran over to the old brick stove his uncle had built ages ago to burn leaves and other debris during the fall and winter months. Jason climbed up onto the mantle and sneezed again wiping his nose with his sleeve which was pretty dirty a result.

For a little bit Clark watched his son at play, always amazed by how imaginative Jason was. "Hey Jason, we need to head out to the car, your mom is waiting for us," he said, as the active little boy jumped off the stove and began to run after more bad guys. "Jason," he called out as his son ran the other way. He knew his little boy could hear him and he also knew when he was being ignored and wondered when or if there would ever be a time when something wouldn't happen to cause Jason to be upset with him. "Jason I know you can hear me, if I have to ask you to come with me one more time then you will have a time out waiting when you get home," he said, in a firm steady voice.

Dropping his sword, Jason walked past his father. In the kitchen he let his Aunt wipe his face off and his hands and when she finished he walked all the way out to the car without looking back. He got the door open himself and shrugged away when his dad tried to help him buckle the seat belt. Jason got it by himself and folded his arms over his chest as his dad shut the door for him.

Lois had observed Jason's behavior toward Clark and it was one more thing she didn't want to handle tonight. After they got back to the planet she did manage to get a good write up of the story, but the school had called and said that Jason had not participated in group reading, and refused to talk to Rebecca who was his partner. She had a feeling this was all about his punishment, and wondered if this had been the right course of action.

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By the time they arrived at the house, Jason was ready to get out of the car and did so before the engine was shut off. Clark looked at Lois when she took in a deep breath and let it out. "How do you want to take care of this?" he asked.

"I need to talk to him first, but eventually we both need to try and get to the bottom of his bad mood," she finally said. She let Clark walk around to her door and help her out, not even daring to put her heels on because both feet had blisters now. By the time they got to the front door, Jason had used the key under the mat to open it, and Lois accepted Clark's hug and kiss before she went to Jason's room. His door was shut but when she opened it she found him lying on his bed and heard his soft cries. "Jason," she said, as she walked over to him and sat on the edge of the mattress.

As soon as she was sitting on his bed, Jason turned over, and through his sad cries he told her about the new girl and how Rebecca had spent her day playing with her. "I don't want to be her friend anymore," he said, as his mom lifted him up and settled him on her lap.

Lois gently rocked him as he continued to cry shutting her eyes for a moment. "Jason, Rebecca is allowed to make friends just like you are," she said, as he shook his head.

"Daddy made her forget me," he finally said, and cried harder.

"No Jason, he made her forget the secret that you told her, and I know this hurts you, but it isn't his fault," she said, as he continued to cry. Again she wondered when parenting had become such a challenge, and knew that in the past 7 months Jason had been given a great deal to adjust to. Lois remembered Simon, and wondered if Jason would be willing to play with him. "How about we invite Simon over on Sunday, your punishment will be over by then and I'll bet you two will have fun like you did the last time.

Simon was a nice friend and he did like more of the fun stuff like bugs and worms that Rebecca did not. "Do you think we could go for a walk around the block like I did when Granny and Pappa were here?" he asked, as he lifted his head to look at his mother's face.

Lois smiled at him as she lowered her head to place a kiss on his teary cheeks. "I think we could do that." Being rewarded with a smile was much better than the sad expression he had on earlier and she managed to hold in her amusement as Clark crawled over to the bed she was sitting on, and laughed with Jason as he was pulled onto the ground and tickled. Lois watched as the two of them wrestled on the floor, glad to see that her son was no longer angry with his father.

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After Jason had been given his bath and had taken his medications, something he still seemed to need due to the arrival of spring, warm weather and pollen, Clark read him another chapter of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe before he and Lois tucked him in for the night. As soon as he shut the door, Clark led Lois into their room and managed to talk her into resting in bed while he fixed a warm bath for her. Her ankle had twisted on their way out of _The Planet_ for the day and he knew that she was tired, and with a quiet night so far, he wanted to take care of her.

As Lois rested against a few pillows with her eyes shut she heard the bath water start to run and opened them. Lois was curious when he didn't come out right away and asked, "What are you doing in there?"

"You will see in a moment," he said, as he found the bath oil Lois had bought in Italy. The oil smelled of lavender and after putting that in the running water, he found a few candles she had put under his sink and put one on top of the toilet seat and another on the sink using his heat vision to light them. When the bath was nearly full he shut it off and turned out the lights and added a few more candles to the mix before he walked out into the bedroom finding Lois nearly asleep in their bed. Without a sound he moved over to where she was resting, and leaned over placing a feather light kiss on her lips. Lois opened her eyes as he helped her sit up, and seemed surprised when he began to undress her.

As his hands rubbed over the skin he exposed from taking her blouse off, Lois felt her heart beating a little faster. She shut her eyes as his lips trailed over her firm belly and tried to remember how to breathe or even think as she felt his hands at the back of her bra. Clark undressed her slowly, exploring her body with both the touch of his hands and the touch of his lips, and Lois couldn't remember anything so sensuous. She was so exhausted, but so alive, and when she felt his hands and lips move away she opened her eyes fearing that he had heard something that would take him away. He was still dressed and when he helped her onto her feet she winced at the pain it caused. Suddenly she found herself in his arms and then a moment later she was in their bathroom which had been transformed into a nice pleasant surprise. When she was on her feet again, Clark held her hand as she stepped into the warm waters of the bath he had drawn for her and helped her sit down. "We need a larger tub," she said, realizing that if they ever wanted to make love in the bath it might prove to be more of a challenge than either of them wanted.

This was the woman he loved, had always loved, and as a Kryptonian, Kal-El knew how selfish it was for him to try and find a life as a normal human when he was not one, but he had also been raised as a human, and Clark knew that he could not ignore his love for her, his love for both of them. "I will have to see what I can do," he said, as he leaned in and kissed her lips. "I will be back soon," he said, as he stood up and walked out of the bathroom, knowing that tonight this was just for her.

How she had ever managed to find love with him was still something Lois could not grasp. Superman, no Kal-El, as she remembered it, was larger than life. He could do amazing things, and continued to do them without really being asked. If there was someone hurting or in need he was there. Somehow though she had found a way into his heart, and they had loved one another even during the time he was gone.

Those thoughts reminded her of Richard, and her heart began to ache as she remembered how selflessly he loved her. Richard knew from the beginning that she would never be able to love him as fully as he did her, and yet he had remained by her side, raising Jason as his own son. A tear fell silently down her left cheek and more guilt rose up as she realized how hard Clark was trying to make this a special night for her. "What's wrong with me?" she whispered to no one in particular.

"Not one thing," Clark said, as he entered the bathroom with a towel and her long terrycloth robe. He took her hands and helped her stand up and when she was out of the tub he gently pulled her into his arms even though she was getting him wet. If anyone knew what she was going through it was him. He had lost his father at an early age and remembered the pain he went through during that time. This of course was different but not by much.

"Look at me, you're trying to make this evening special for me," Lois said through her tears, "and I'm ruining it," she said, as she tried to stop crying.

"You are not doing anything of the sort," he said, as he felt her head shake. He led her over to their bed and took his arms from around her gently, moving away enough so that he could put his finger under her chin and tilt her head up. When she was looking at him he lowered his head and kissed away the tears on the right cheek, and then kissed away the tears on the left as her cries lessened. When his lips found hers, he felt her fingers working on the buttons of his dress pants, while his own hands slid down her arms, and then further to her hips.

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Resting comfortably in the arms of the man she loved, Lois was awake even though her body screamed for rest. It as close to 2 a.m., and he had yet to leave her.

From the way she was breathing, to the slight tension he felt in her back, Clark knew that Lois was not asleep. "Are you worried about my staying home?" he finally asked, and smiled as she lifted her head to look at him. They were covered by a tan sheet, and neither one of them had gotten up to get dressed in the case that Jason might come in. Both of them were comfortable where they were, Clark on his back, and Lois resting half on top of him with her cheek pressed against his chest on the left side, though now it was not.

"I guess you would go if there was someone who really needed you," she said, feeling a pang of sadness as she settled her cheek back against his chest. As she rested there she ran her hand over his firm muscled stomach, and felt his hand move from where it had been resting on her back down to her bottom.

"Lois, right now you need me more than anyone else. You are my life, and I won't leave you when I know that you are upset about something," he said gently.

How he could know that, was something she would ask another day. "It isn't easy my life, our life. I won't give it up or trade it for something easier, but I don't know how to handle these times when I feel this way," she admitted. "I worry when you say things like what you just told me, because I know you have a job to do, and I can take care of myself," she said, hardly believing that he would really stay even if a plane was about to crash or someone was about to die.

He thought about what she was saying and listened to her as he listened to someone crying on a street in a small town in the Midwest. "I will always be needed Lois, but after you and Jason moved in with me I made the choice to put both of you first. I will have days or nights when I have to leave you to prevent terrible tragedies from happening, but the events that can be helped by local law or even by people helping themselves are ones that I will no longer be a part of, or not as much," he said. As Lois drifted to sleep, Clark listened to the distant cries and finally when they stopped he shut his own eyes joining her in a much needed rest.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: The Key**

The noisy beep of her alarm going off alerted Lois of two things, the first was the obvious that it was time for another busy day at _The Daily Planet, _and the second was that she was alone in her bed. As she opened her eyes she found Clark's side of the bed empty and also found a note on his pillow. With a smile on her face she opened it and read:

_Lois, there was an emergency that needed taking care of, and I won't be home until after it is time to go to work. I'm sorry I had to leave so abruptly, and I will try to make it up to both of you. Love, Clark._

It wasn't the first time she had woken up to his absence and she knew it wouldn't be the last. It was still difficult to know that he was not always going to be there, but as she sat up in bed and stretched her arms out in front of her, Lois pushed those feelings away. She had known going into this that she had to share him, and she had to be strong not only for herself but for their little boy. After slipping on her brown terrycloth robe, Lois walked out of the room she and Clark shared and went directly across the hall to the one their little boy slept in.

Jason's room was dark, due to the blinds being pulled, and for a moment Lois stood looking up at the glowing sticker stars on his ceiling. Clark told her just the other evening that the stars were placed in conjunction with the stars in his home galaxy, the way they looked before the Kryptonian sun died. There were times that she wished somehow Jason could have seen that part of the universe, to know about that aspect of his life, but that was all gone now and only the Crystals at the Fortress would be able to give him some idea of what it had been like. Stepping over various toys, Lois reached the side of Jason's bed and sat down on the edge of the mattress. She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his soft cheek. "It's time to wake up, munchkin," Lois said, as she reached out her left hand and stroked her fingers through his thick hair. It was still short thanks to Martha's handy work, and Lois was grateful for her assistance in that matter.

His mother's voice filtered through his sleep fogged brain, and Jason didn't want to wake up. He felt her kisses and her fingers running through his hair and scrunched up his eyes. "I'm sad," he said, keeping his eyes shut.

Lois knew mornings were difficult for him, and continued to stroke her fingers through his hair. "I know you want to sleep in, but I have work, and you have school," she reminded him gently.

"I miss daddy Richard," he whispered, still keeping his eyes shut. Jason had a dream about him last night but couldn't remember what it was about, only knowing that it had been a nice dream and one he didn't want to let go of.

These last few months had been so hard on him, and Lois knew that he still didn't quite grasp the finality of death. "Do you remember that time we went up to Maine, and he took you fishing?" Lois asked, as she lifted Jason out of his bed and settled him onto her lap. She felt his head shake. "You were only three years old and I was so worried about him taking you out on that lake, but he promised me that you would be safe. While you two did that I sat inside worrying that something would happen and almost an hour later you came running in with this big fish that you caught all by yourself," Lois said, as Jason giggled.

"How big was the fish?" Jason asked and laughed as she took his hands and spread them out to nearly a foot. "I did it all by myself?" the little boy asked, hardly believing it.

"You did, and your daddy couldn't have been more proud. He wanted to cook it up but when he told you that, you ran back out the door with both of us chasing after you, and when we caught up with you, you had put that fish in the water hook and all."

Again Jason laughed feeling better and as he got dressed he was happy to hear more stories about when he was little, and when his daddy Richard was still with them.

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As soon as Lois arrived in the bullpen, her name was being called by Perry, and after dropping her things by her desk, she hurried into his office. The first question he asked her was where Clark was, and Lois found it easier to lie to him this time telling him that he had a doctor's appointment.

"I want you to head down to the Mayor's office, she is holding a press conference in an hour regarding the recent shootings," he said, folding his hands in front of him on his desk.

Lois had planned on calling her contact at the police department, but knew that what the Chief wanted took top priority. "I'll get right on that," she said, as she left his office hoping that what the mayor was going to say was good news.

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The Villa Superman had flown them to was on an Island in Italy, and Alexandra had not asked him how, or who had supplied them with such a nice place to stay. All she did know was that the people there were very kind and nice, and that her ex-husband would likely never figure out where they were. Among the several nice amenities of the villa was the TV, which brought in American stations such as CNN, and now as she sat on a comfortable sofa, Alexandra watched the Mayor of Metropolis discussing the scare tactics which had been used in the last few days to try and get Agent Jones released.

_This city will not bend to the threats of these extremists, and the agent will have his day in court. As a precaution I am ordering a mandatory curfew starting this evening. Every citizen of this city will be required to be in their houses by 9pm, and the local law enforcement agencies along with the local National Guard will insure that this new law is followed. With any luck we will find out who is behind all of this and make our city safe again. That will be all," _Mayor Darby said. Despite the questions being thrown at her, she went with her advisers back into her office and a pretty young newscaster began to talk about what the Mayor had said.

Not far from where her mother sat, standing behind the Sofa, Christina had heard what the woman had just said and knew that she had to be brave and tell Superman the rest of what he needed to know. She hated her father, and knew that if he was let go he would start hurting little girls all over again. "Momma," Christina said, as she walked around the couch where she turned to face her mom. "I need to tell Superman about daddy, all of it," she said without fear.

"No you don't, they will find out who is helping him and this will all be over," Alexandra said, not willing to let her only child get hurt by Martin.

"But I do momma, if he gets out he will find us again and if he finds me he will make an example and I don't want to die like the other girls, please don't let that happen," she said, as she began to cry.

All she could do was hold her daughter and fight back her own tears as well her anger. "Do you know how to get Superman to come here?" Alexandra asked, as her daughter began to settle down.

"I'll call his name, it might take a while but I know he will come," she said, bravely.

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The area in front of the Mayor's office was a madhouse. Reporters were still trying to get questions in as she returned inside of the huge building, and among them, Lois was not surprised by the news they had just received. How else were they going to keep the citizens safe, and at least this way, maybe, they would be able to catch whoever was behind the remote control minivan. Knowing that they weren't going to get anymore out of the mayor or her people, Lois pushed her way through the crowd and managed a few interviews before lunch. She had yet to see Clark and wondered what other disasters were taking place to keep him away. As she waited for a taxi she heard tires screeching, and when she looked down the street she saw another minivan. Knowing in her gut that it had to be another remote control, Lois ran back into the crowd and made it to the podium just in time. She managed to get the PA system up and yelled for everyone to get down. Just as soon as she did the minivan stopped and the door slid open. Guns fired and people screamed. Lois got down behind the podium keeping her head covered, even though she knew that wouldn't help.

The gunfire stopped and when she peered out from behind the podium, she saw the van door close and then it screeched away dodging cars left and right. Lois looked up in the sky but Superman wasn't anywhere to be seen. As she stood up she looked over the crowd. Several people were injured and she could hear the sirens of what she hoped were both police cars and ambulances.

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For nearly and hour Christina had been steadily calling his name, and as she sat on her bed nearly in tears, her door opened and her mom came in with Superman. Christina wiped her face and smiled. "I didn't think you were going to come," the young girl admitted.

Superman walked over to her and knelt down. "It isn't safe for me to come to you, but I guessed that you had something important to say to me." The little girl nodded her head and Superman waited for her to say what she needed to say.

"There is a ledger at the mansion with every name of the cult inside. It has the members and the people who pay my father's group for protection. There are also video tapes of the rituals, and all of it is kept in a lead lined vault in the Far East chamber. I don't think anyone would have gone after it, Daddy always kept its location secret but I saw him get in there one day and I heard him talking about it, which is why I know," she said.

The little girl sitting in front of him was very brave and when she finished telling him which chamber was the Far East chamber, he stood back up. "I will let you know what I find," Superman said. He started to turn but she called him back.

"Is it okay if maybe if you hugged me?" She asked, hoping that he would say yes.

Superman smiled at her, knelt down, and in a moment he held her in his arms much in the way he would hold Jason. "Thank you for helping," he said. When she let go he left her room, and headed for home, hoping that he would be able to find that ledger and put an end to this madness.

Flying straight up into the sky, Superman made it into space and headed for home. As he flew around the world and arrived over the United States his hearing picked up a news broadcast about another attack outside the Mayor's office, and instantly he was flying toward that area, thinking of Lois. His heart began to thud painfully in his chest, and by the time he arrived, the area had been cleared away. Superman landed on the steps in front of the Mayor's office and spoke with an officer who told him it had been another remote attack. No one had been killed but as with the last attack there were several injured and a few people in critical condition. As he flew back into the sky he focused his hearing on Lois, and was relieved when he heard her at _The Planet_ talking to someone on the phone. Not far from where they both worked, Superman landed in an alley and in blur of color he changed into a gray suit with a dark tie, and headed toward work and the woman he loved.

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"No I'll wait," Lois said, glancing at Clark's desk. There had been no mention of Superman in the news for over an hour and she was worried about him. Finally she got Officer Martinez on the phone. "Did they find the van?" she asked, as she began to jot down notes, not noticing Clark's approach. "How could it just disappear?" Lois was exasperated and frustrated because none of this added up. How did one obtain the money to pay for that sort of technology? "I know you're doing your best, it's just well, just call me if you find anything else out." Lois hung up her phone, put her pen down, and shut her eyes. When she felt a strong hand on her shoulders, she opened her eyes and stood up facing the one person she had wanted to see all day. After the day she had been through she didn't care about pubic displays of affection and went willingly into his arms. "Where were you?" she asked, softly.

"Vegas most of the morning and we need to find a good place to talk," he said not trusting to tell her in their building. He led the way to the elevators and once they were inside one going up to the roof, he lowered his head and crushed his lips against hers. Right now he needed to kiss her and hold her in his arms just so he would know that she was really okay. The kiss lasted until they reached the roof top, and reluctantly he drew away from her and stepped off the elevator.

There was a warm breeze blowing in off the coast and Lois watched as he walked over to the edge of the building. His kiss had been very arousing and very surprising, but she quickly deduced that he had arrived back to find out about the shooting. "Do I get to know where else you went?" she finally asked as she walked over to him, her heels clicking against the stone surface of the roof.

"Christina called for me, and I debated on going, but she kept calling my name for nearly an hour," Superman said, as he turned around to face her. "She gave me some information that would help in the case if it is accurate, and I have to go back to the mansion to find it.

Lois had known that he found a place for Alexandra and her daughter, but who had funded it, and where, he had not said a word. "I want to go with you," she said, expecting to go.

For a brief moment he was ready to tell her _no_, but after their last big argument he knew that he could not do that anymore. "It won't be safe," he replied.

"None of it has been, and I want to see that place for myself," Lois said, as she stepped up to him. She waited as in a blur he changed into his suit, and when he was ready she slipped off her heels, picked them up, and stepped onto his feet. His arms wrapped around her and Lois rested her left cheek against his chest as he rose into the air.

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The moment Jason got into her car, Alice could tell that he wasn't feeling good. His breathing was normal, and he wasn't complaining about anything, but after taking care of him for as long as she had, she knew when something wasn't right. "Jason, would you like me to stop and get some ice cream before we go to my house?" she asked. The little boy shook his head and that confirmed that he wasn't well, because he never turned down an offer like that.

By the time she got him home he was still awake but didn't make any motion to get out of his booster seat. Alice got her purse and draped it over her left shoulder and then walked around the car and opened Jason's door. She leaned in and helped him with the seat belt, kissing his forehead but didn't find that he had a fever.

As his Aunt helped him out of the car, Jason felt dizzy, and held her hand as she led the way to the house. He followed her through the hallway and then to the right into the large family room. When she told him to get settled on the red sofa, he didn't protest and sat there feeling really strange.

Upstairs, Alice got a pillow and a blanket off of the bed Jason used when he spent the night and returned to the family room, finding him staring at the coffee table in front of the couch. She put the pillow down at the left end of the couch and gently settled him there. "Why don't you take a little rest," she said, as she leaned down and kissed his left cheek. As she was about to straighten up he reached out and hugged her, and Alice knelt down and held on to him. "Are you hungry?" she asked, as he let go of her.

"I'm sleepy," answered Jason as he yawned. He felt cold, although when she put the fuzzy red blanket over his body, he began to feel warm again, and his eyelids felt suddenly heavy. He let them close and was soon sound asleep.

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The mansion was boarded up and before they landed, Superman scanned it and let his body feel for anything like Kryptonite lying around. When he was sure there was no danger he landed behind the house and settled Lois on her feet and waited as she put her shoes on. The building was huge, several stories high, and very old. Superman led the way to the back door and with an easy twist of the knob and a slight push the door splintered open.

Why she had not thought to research the place was beyond her, but as Lois followed Superman inside the house, she made a face at the smell. The house smelled old, and she was sure there were all forms of mold growing on the walls and on the floors. Keeping close to the man she loved, Lois looked around the small kitchen and then followed him down a dark hall. "I can't see," she reminded him, as he stopped and turned around.

"I didn't think of that," he admitted and found a candle in one of the ornate sterling silver holders on the wall. He took it out and used his heat vision to light it before handing it to Lois. "Stay close," he said and then continued to lead the way.

They entered a large room with many tables and chairs set up, and everything was covered by a fine layer of dust. There were thick burgundy curtains covering the windows, and again Lois smelled something very unsettling that was more than just mold or dirt. They walked out of the room and in a larger hallway where Superman opened a door with wooden steps leading down into the darkness. "Is this where they kept the children?" Lois asked, feeling unsure of going down there. She was a grown woman but something about this house was very frightening for her.

He could hear the tension in her voice as well as her heart beat picking up, and turned to face her once more. "They were locked in chambers, are you sure you want to come with me?" he asked, and when she nodded her head, he reached out and touched his hand to her cheek before leading the way down the wooden stairs.

At the bottom of the forty stairs was a large room, and this time Lois knew she was smelling death and nearly lost what little she had eaten earlier in the day. She welcomed his hand around her own and walked with him to the other side of the circular room to a passage. Lois could hear water dripping from some place and again her heart rate went up as they walked down the dark hall lit only by the candle she held in her hands. They seemed to walk forever before he led them into another circular room, and again there were furnishings there, an old desk, a sofa and some chairs. There was a large painting on the wall and Lois shuddered as Superman let go of her hand and walked over to it. When he took it down there was a vault of some sort and Lois watched as he turned the combination lock. A moment later he opened it and pulled out a huge bound binder, and as well a sack of video tapes.

He held in his hands what he hoped was the answer to this whole thing, and once he had them he led Lois out the way they had come. As they reached the main chamber he stopped her and pressed a finger over her lips as he listened. "We have to go the other way," he said softly, not willing to put her in danger. He could hear several people upstairs and knew that the passage led down to the docks. "This is going to take a while," he said, as they began their journey.

Lois figured that someone was in the house and as he led the way she was glad she had on a pair of flats. "What is that you have?" she asked, as they passed through the damp dirty passage.

"A ledger and tapes Christina said they kept. She told me that the ledger would have all the names of the clergy and the people who pay the cult off. I hope that maybe it will lead to the answers we need."

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While Lois and Superman made their way to the docks through the long passage, Jason was awake crying, and Alice couldn't get him to tell her what was wrong. He didn't have a fever but she knew he wasn't feeling well and sat on the sofa holding him, trying her best to calm him down. "Does something hurt?" she asked as he shook his head. "Jason, if something is hurting I can make it feel better," she said, knowing that he was likely worried about having to see a doctor. "Would you feel better if I called your mom?" When he nodded his head she gently settled him back against the pillow and kissed his cheeks before she went to get her phone.

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Superman knew that there wasn't a way Lois could walk thirty miles, and when he convinced her of that he let her hold the binder and tapes as he lifted off of the ground and held her against his chest as he began to fly. He listened for any other intruders and scanned the walls far ahead making sure everything was still in tact. Even with flying he knew that it would take them a while to get to the other side, and as he flew he saw other chambers, and knew that the police and FBI needed to be made aware of this.

An hour later they arrived in the basement of one of the warehouses, and both of them were covered in dirt and dust and were in need of a shower. Superman landed and put Lois on her feet using his hand to wipe some of the dirt from her face. "I guess I should take us home first," he said, as he looked at her. When she agreed he lifted her back into his arms and flew them out of the basement of the warehouse and up into the darkening sky toward home.

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Perry listened as Alice told him about Jason and promised her he would send one or both reporters to the house when they returned. Neither Kent, nor Lane, had said anything when the left and he hoped that they had one hell of a story to tell when they returned.

After hanging up the phone with Perry, Alice walked over to Jason and sat down next to him as his face fell into a frown. "I'm sorry honey but they are out on assignment. Why don't I turn on the TV for you?" When he nodded his head, she did that, and put it on the Animal Planet, one of his favorite channels.

Once she was gone, Jason shut his eyes wishing that his left ear would stop hurting so much. He remembered the last time it hurt and when the doctor put drops in them. He didn't want to be sick again nor did he want to see the doctor anymore. The show on the Animal Planet made him laugh but his ear still hurt and he wished his mommy and his daddy would come and get him.

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The hot shower had done wonders to get the dirt and grime off of her and after she stepped out of the shower she got dressed in a clean tan skirt and a cream short sleeved blouse with a low cut neck. Lois put on a set of pearls her mother had gotten her a while back and slipped on her black flats before she walked down the hall to the family room where Superman was waiting. She could see the somber expression on his face as she walked to him. When she was close enough, she put her arms around him.

"I saw what was on one of the tapes," he said, as he held her close. "How can people be so violent, and claim that what they are doing is an act of God."

Lois didn't have the answer to that, and she shut her eyes as he told her about what he had seen on the video. There was enough evidence between that, and what he had read in the ledger to convict Agent Jones and to convict several city officials including the DA, and a great many people in the mayor's office. After he had composed himself he flew them into the sky and toward the police station first, where they could give the ledger and the tape to Officer Martinez.

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It was near 4pm by the time the two reporters walked in to the news room, and before either of them could say a word, Perry was yelling out both of their names. Lois looked at Clark realizing that they had not said anything to him and they both made haste to his office. When they arrived inside he told them about Jason and Lois went instantly into mommy mode. "I should have taken my cell phone," she said, putting her hands on her head as she completely forgot about the ledger and the tapes.

Clark put his hand on her shoulder and told her to get their things, and while she did that, he told Perry about what Superman had been able to find. "With both the tapes and the ledger, they have a solid case now," he said, wanting to leave with Lois.

Perry knew they needed to be with Jason and told Clark to try and have their story in by tomorrow's evening edition before sending him on his way. As the young man left, Perry leaned back in his chair hoping that this story would end, and that the cult would be put away for a long time. He shut his eyes, always happy when the paper had access to a great story.

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Watching Animal Bloopers made Jason feel a little better and he laughed as a video showed up with a man walking around a room wearing a cat draped over his bald head. As the show went to a commercial break, he heard his mom's voice. As he sat up, the room swam before him, and his ear started to really hurt. He bit back the urge to cry and settled back down against the pillow, hoping that they wouldn't take him anywhere but home.

After talking to Alice, who told them that Jason wasn't himself, Lois took Clark's hand and led the way to the family room. Jason was resting on the sofa watching TV. Letting go of Clark's hand, Lois walked over to him and knelt down kissing his head. "How do you feel, munchkin?"

"I feel much better, can we go home now?" he asked, even though he felt really bad.

Lois kissed him again and helped him sit up and saw his eyes squint close. "Jason?" she asked, as she moved to sit down on the sofa. Clark focused on their son and then turned to look at Lois, concerned. He told her that he thought Jason had an ear infection. Jason was in pain and Lois lifted him into her arms holding her hand against his head as he rested his cheek against her left shoulder. Alice told them to take the blanket and after getting him settled into the back of the car, Lois let Clark drive and told him to head toward the Pediatric Urgent Care, knowing that his regular doctor wouldn't be in until tomorrow.

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By the time they arrived home Jason was asleep in the back of the car, and Lois had been on the phone with Perry for most of the drive from the Urgent Care to the house. He told her about the arrests that had been made, close to 100 city officials had been involved in the cult, and the DA had ordered the murder of the Judge. It was a huge story, but right now her mind was on her little boy. He had a bad ear infection in his inner ear and along with oral antibiotics, they also had to give him ear drops each day before bed time.

While she got their things together, Clark lifted Jason out of the car. Once they were inside, Lois put their things from work on the sofa and walked to their room to find the analgesic. Jason's fever wasn't high but she knew it would help with the pain.

Jason stirred as Clark got him undressed and opened his eyes when his mom came with the medicine. For once he was too tired to fight having to take it, and once he was in his pajamas and snuggled into bed with Lucky by his side, he went back to sleep instantly.

Following Lois back into their room, Clark walked over to the bed and sat down frustrated. It came back to the same line of thoughts for him, that he could help everyone in the world but his own little boy. He knew that sort of thought was beneath him and he knew it was selfish but he felt defeated and shut his eyes leaning forward to rest his forehead against his hands.

As she walked out of the bathroom, Lois was surprised to see Clark still dressed in his suit from work and frowned as she realized how defeated he looked. Without a word she crossed over to the bed and sat down next to him, leaning her head against his strong arm. "Jason gets sick like this every year," she said, as he moved his arm to wrap it around her. Until now she hadn't really though about how being a father for the first time, and having to see their son struggle, had affected him. She was used to Jason's struggles, and though she hated every time he got sick it was sort of routine in a way.

"I want to find a way to keep him from getting sick," he finally said, as he turned to look into her beautiful eyes. He watched her smile and felt his heart warm as a result.

"I think we both want that, but he's had to deal with this sort of thing since I gave birth to him. He's had lots of ear infections over the years and at one point we even had tubes put in both ears but I'm hoping the older he gets the more he will become like you and his little body will be able to fight off all of this," she said, as she reached out and held his hand in her own. Lois realized that he wasn't familiar with tubes put in children's ears to help with infections and explained it to him. "When he was 6 months old to until he was about 9 months, he had one ear infection after another. His doctor finally told Richard and me that he would benefit from placing tubes in his ears to drain any sort of infection away, and we both knew it was either do that or endure his screams. After the surgery he still had a few ear infections here and there but they finally went away."

He thought about that and then thought about the fact that his son was Kryptonian in part and thought of the fortress. "After he gets better I think the three of us need to go to the Fortress of Solitude," he said. The holograms of his parents had said there was little to be done for Jason but he wasn't so sure about that, and wanted to try and help his son if he could.

Her stomach grumbling made both of them laugh and after sharing a kiss, the two of them headed to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat and then hopefully retire for the night.

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It was just after breakfast when Superman arrived at their villa and Alexandra wasn't surprised in the least bit to see him. She had seen the news about the arrests made in Metropolis and was amazed at how many people had a hand in the cult. She listened as he told her about what he had found in the mansion, which had been what Christina had told him and considered his next words carefully. The newly appointed DA, a man she had known before meeting Martin said that Christina's word would be the final nail in the coffin for her father and the members of the cult. "I'm not sure she is strong enough, but then again she has impressed me so far."

"I won't allow any harm to come to her, or you, but it is very important to make sure that Martin and those other men can't do this anymore."

Alexandra thought about that. "He wants a quick trial then?" she asked, as Superman nodded his head.

When she left the room to bring her daughter, Superman's thoughts were on his own son. Jason had spent most of the night awake crying because his ear hurt him, and this morning Jason had been upset when he started to leave, only this time Superman sat with him explaining to him why he had to go and managed to get him to feel better before he left.

For Christina, seeing Superman again was somehow like magic in a way. He had saved her from Damian and her father and her momma told her what the DA wanted her to do. "What if he tries to take me away?" she asked, as she walked in front of the tall man standing in their parlor. Christina watched as Superman knelt down, and waited for his answer.

"I won't let him harm you, and I will stay by your side, but your word, if you can be brave enough, will keep your father in prison for a long time," he said.

The mention of her father brought hate to the forefront and Christina turned her head down. "I hate him, if you had a kid would you hurt them like he hurt me?" she asked, as she looked back at the man before her.

Answering that question came very easily to him, though he had hurt Jason but not in the way Martin had hurt his daughter. "Never," he said as she smiled at him. He stood back up to his full height and looked at Alexandra who agreed that they should go back to Metropolis.

When they were ready he led the way to the car and followed them in the air all the way to the airport. He used his x-ray vision to scan the plane and everyone working for Bruce just as a precaution and once it was in the air he followed it back to Metropolis where he knew the media would be waiting.

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Seated on the sofa with a heating pad on her lap, and Jason's head resting against that, Lois ran her hand over his back as he slept. She had the TV muted but the subtitles told her what was being said. Right now the news crews were covering the private Jet as it landed at Metropolis International Airport. One camera got a shot of Christina and her mother getting off the plane with Superman walking next to them as they made their way to the waiting Limo. Again Lois thought about Bruce Wayne and wanted to ask more about the elusive Millionaire. She now knew his secret and she also knew that neither man agreed with how to handle criminals.

Her vibrating cell phone caught her attention and the voice on the other end was her father's. "Hi daddy," she said, wishing that he had chosen another time to call. "No, today wouldn't be a good idea, Jason has an ear infection and I'm working from home on the case against Agent Jones," she said softly, as her little boy continued to sleep. "I know you two haven't seen him since before Christmas, but he needs to rest today," she said, as he continued to try and persuade her to let them come over. Something Lois hadn't realized until he mentioned it was that they were not aware of her move to Clark's house, and she felt her blood start to boil as The General tried to lecture her. "I am a grown woman, and both of us needed a change," she whispered, as Jason shifted against her lap. "I can't talk about this now, Jason needs his medicine." Before her father could get in one more word she hung up and sighed.

The terrible pain in his left ear roused him from his sleep, and as he tried to lift his head it made the pain worse. "It hurts," Jason sobbed, feeling his mom stroke her hand through his hair.

"I'm so sorry," Lois said softly as she placed her hand under the heating pad gently lifting his head enough to slip out from under him. Carefully she lowered the pad with his head atop it onto the soft cushion of the couch and then knelt down kissing his left cheek. "I'll be right back, munchkin." She saw his eyes focused on the TV and turned to see Superman escorting the woman and child up the courthouse steps. Before she went into the kitchen, Lois turned the channel to the Disney and left Jason to watch The Wiggles while she went to get his medicines.

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The hearing was closed to the public, and only Martin Jones stood trial as his daughter walked bravely up to the stand. She put her small hand on the bible and repeated what the bailiff wanted her to say. Christina looked at Superman and then down at the floor, too afraid to see her father.

Martin's attorney got to question her first, and Superman could tell that the little girl was afraid of him. He asked her about her relationship with her father and she bravely told her story even when Mr. Lawrence tried to intimidate her. "Isn't it true that your father kept you safe?" he asked, getting right in the girl's face.

Christina looked at her mommy and Superman and then spoke in a clear steady voice. "He never hurt me but I was never allowed to go outside and he wouldn't let me go to my school. He said that it was too much of a risk to allow me out of the site of the elders," she answered truthfully.

Finally the DA was called to ask her questions and Christina was able to tell them about the night she left he mansion. "I knew if I didn't go and get help that more girls would get hurt like Lilly and Jordan," she said.

District Attorney Albert Zachariah asked her to tell the Judge what had happened to the girls and when Martin's attorney tried to call out that it wasn't relevant the Judge overruled him and asked Christina to continue.

"They didn't want to do what the Elders wanted and any girl who fought got burned. I snuck down to the basement and heard them screaming and then Elder Roberts took me back upstairs and told me the next time I came out of my room to spy he would cut my ears off."

As he listened to what Christina was telling the Judge, Superman felt anger as he never had experienced. He wanted to see Agent Jones put into prison for a very long time, and to some extent, he didn't think the man should live to see another day, and then pushed that thought aside. He was no executioner, and the man would be in prison for a long time after this, or so he hoped.

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With Jason asleep in the master bedroom, Lois was on the phone with Jimmy who was waiting outside the courthouse to hear the verdict. "Is there any word on what they think might happen?" she asked, as she pushed up the sleeves of her gray sweatshirt.

On his end, Jimmy told her that they were asking for the death penalty, but that he thought they would likely give him a double life sentence. "I think death would be too easy for him," Jimmy admitted, also having strong feelings about this particular story they were covering. "Wait, they're coming out. I'll call you back Lois." He hung up his cell and held his digital camera up, focusing in on Mr. Lawrence as he walked out of the building followed by Agent Jones who was cuffed at the hands and had cuffs on his ankles. Jimmy got a shot of both of them as the crowd went wild. He focused again on the door and a few moments later Christina and her mom walked out with Superman close by.

Christina held back as the crowd began to shout and then she found her hand in Superman's stronger one, and she felt better. He guided them through the crowds of people and when they were safely in their car, she turned around to see him lift of the ground. It was all over now, and her daddy would be in prison for a very long time. She and her mom were going to continue to live in Italy until things calmed down and then one day she would be able to come back and go back to her school and her friends.

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While Lois waited for Jimmy to get back to her, there was a knock at her door. When she opened it she smiled as she found her sister waiting to be let inside. Without hesitation she gave Lucy a hug, and once she was inside Lois shut and locked the door. "So what brings you out this way?" she asked.

"Our parents. They called me wanting to know how to get out here, but I told them I didn't know," she said, as they both laughed. Lucy looked around the family room. "Where is the squirt?"

"Sick, he has a really bad ear infection, but it goes with this time of year, so he should be over it in a few weeks," Lois said, as Lucy sat down on the sofa. After asking what Lucy wanted to drink, Lois went into the kitchen to fix both of them something, hoping that their parents wouldn't get any information from work, the last thing she needed right now was a visit from The General.

Since this was her first visit, Lucy looked around. On the wall across the room from her was a large picture of Jason, the one Lois had taken after Thanksgiving. There were other smaller pictures in frames, and Lucy picked one up on the end table closest to where she was sitting. The picture was of Clark and Jason on the beach. Clark was buried in the sand, and Jason was standing with one small foot on his chest holding a blue bucket in his hand, looking proud.

As she was about to look at another picture, Lucy saw Jason approaching, and could tell he wasn't feeling good. "Hey Squirt," she said, using a soft tone of voice. When he was close enough she lifted him onto her lap and frowned because he was very warm. "How did you get sick, I thought you and I warded off the sickies this year," she said, trying to cheer him up. Lucy loved Jason, and hated to see him this way.

His ear wasn't hurting as much but he felt dizzy and all he really wanted was for his daddy to get home. Jason could rest his ear against his daddy's chest without the heating pad and it had the same effect, though he really didn't understand why. "I miss my daddy," he said softly, as she settled back against the sofa cradling him in her arms. He looked at her face and saw a scratch below her eye. "What did that?" he asked.

"Rufus did that, he's my new kitten, but don't worry I changed my clothes and washed my hands before I came here," Lucy said, knowing very well that he was highly allergic to cats.

"I thought I heard voices," Lois said, as she walked out of the kitchen with two tall glasses of tea, and a cup of juice for her baby. When she put the glasses down she offered to take Jason, but Lucy was content to hold him, and as they talked the sick little boy went back to sleep.

"How do you think the trial went?" Lucy asked, as she let her sister move Jason to the other end of the sofa. It was funny, because she never thought of Lois being any kid's mom, but now that she was, Lucy had realized how devoted she was to her little boy and wondered if she could ever settle down enough to do the same sort of thing.

Once Jason was settled with a warm blanket over his fevered body, Lois took a seat in the recliner. "I don't know, Jimmy was supposed to get back to me, I just hope that it's over," she said, wishing Clark would come home. It was approaching dinner time, and she didn't feel like fixing anything.

Having the cult terrorize their home had made many people consider leaving Metropolis, and Lucy had also thought about it but then decided against it. This was her home and even during the bad times Lucy couldn't imagine moving, even when The General and her mom offered to let her come stay in DC with them. "I hope he rots in a prison cell for the rest of his life. Is it true that they arrested a hundred city officials?"

Lois had just taken a drink of her tea and put it down as she nodded her head. "Thirty members of the police force were involved and ten people at the DA's office aside from him. I think the rest of them were all working at the Mayor's office including the man who wanted to run for mayor during the next election year," she said.

The two of them talked for a while longer and as Lucy was getting ready to leave, the front door opened and Clark entered the house. Lucy got her jacket on, as her sister and her… well what ever he was to her kissed, and noticed he had take out, but declined to stay. "You two call me if you want to go out sometime," she said, and then Lucy headed out to her small car.

Once the door was shut, Clark let Lois take the food and walked to the couch, leaning down to place a kiss on Jason's cheek. His son was warm, and when he asked Lois when he last had his medicines, she told him a few hours ago. In less than 5 seconds, Clark had gone to their room and changed into a pair of black sweat pants and a white t-shirt arriving in the kitchen as Lois put the food out on the table.

After sitting down, Lois didn't waste any time asking him about the case, and listened as he told her what Christina had revealed about the man she called her father. "Oh God, how could any body do that to their child, or any child?" Lois asked, suddenly realizing that talking about this while eating dinner was likely not such a great idea.

Clark realized that as well and told her what the verdict was. "The Judge ruled that Martin be kept in a maximum security prison for the rest of his life. No one will be allowed to visit him and he will have a room to himself with all he needs." As he was about to tell her more, they both heard Jason calling out for Lois, but only Clark left the table.

"It hurts daddy, it hurts," Jason said, as he started to cry.

Gently Clark lifted Jason into his arms and took him to Lois for a kiss goodnight before he carried him down the hall to the room he shared with his fiancé. As Jason continued to cry softly against his chest, Clark managed to pull the covers on the queen sized bed down before he sat down and leaned back settling Jason at his side so that the side of his body where the ear infection was rested against his own.

With his ear pressed against his father's chest, Jason soon began to feel better, and he wanted to ask about the girl he saw on the TV but he felt too tired to even think. He felt his father's hand resting against the right side of his cheek and shut his eyes listening to the steady beat of his heart.

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**AN:** _Thanks to all of you who have read and reviewed both of my stories. Keep reading and let me now what you think your imput is important to me and it keeps me going. I also want to thank Mr. Firenze for the Beta reading, I tend to get a little impatient and post before its betad and yet he keeps helping out so anyway thanks thanks and thanks again. _

_Eviefan_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: Never a Quiet Moment**

Something launching itself on their bed, with a thud against both of their bodies, woke Clark and the woman he loved, and as he opened his eyes he found Jason making his way in between he and Lois, who was beginning to stir. Reluctantly while still under the covers, Clark let go of Lois and when Jason got up to their pillows he lifted the blanket waiting until his son was snuggled in between them to pull the blankets against all three of them.

Lois rolled over and her eyes focused on the sight before her as Jason rested with his small body against his father's chest, and his head against Clark's pillow, as Clark himself had risen up on one elbow so that he could see her. "Are you feeling better?" Lois asked their little boy as she scooted closer and settled on her left side. She reached her hand out and felt Jason's head not finding any trace of the fever, which was a relief because he had been sick with the ear infection and fever for nearly two weeks, the longest time he had ever had one.

"I feel all better, and the man on the TV said that it was going to be a warm sunny day, and he said that we should go to the park," informed Jason in a very matter of fact tone, making both parents have to hold back their amusement.

Clark looked over at Lois silently questioning her on whether they should do that, considering the length of his illness.

"Why don't you go in and watch a little TV while your daddy and I get dressed and we can think about going to the park, but I'm not so sure that would be such a good idea with you being sick for so long," Lois said, as Jason stuck out his bottom lip. Before he could start to really pout Lois sat up and pulled him closer to her body, and began to tickle his belly getting his happy laughter as she did. Grasping his hands in one of hers, Lois pulled his blue pajama top up with the other hand, and nibbled on his belly as Jason tried to get his daddy to help.

"Help?" asked Clark before he joined in to help Lois by nibbling around his ears, very gently. They both stopped after a few moments allowing Jason to catch his breath.

"I meant for you to help me not my mommy," Jason said, and laughed more when his daddy went for his belly.

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A few hours later the Kent/Lane family headed for the park. Lois had phoned Jason's pediatrician who told her to make sure he wore a jacket with the hood up, and to also make sure not to let him get overly tired. In the back of the car Jason was singing along with his Disney Sing along DVD, and in the front while she drove, Lois held Clark's hand with the one she wasn't using, glad that for once life was settling down. Lois pulled into the parks drive through, parking close to the playground, and as soon as she had the car stopped, Jason was trying his best to get out.

It had been a long time since he had come to the park with his parents, and Jason pulled at the silver handle on the door but it wouldn't budge. "Unlock the door mommy," he said, eager to get out and get one of the horse shaped swings that he loved.

After getting out of the car on the same side Jason was seated in, Clark moved to the back door and as soon as he had it open Jason was out of the car ready to run off, but Clark knelt down and gently pulled Jason into his arms. "Hold on there, we have all afternoon to play, and your doctor wants you to be careful," he reminded, as Jason struggled to get loose.

It was impossible to get out of his father's arms, and finally Jason stopped trying to get away. "I want to play now," he said not happy about being held back. He waited and as soon as his daddy let go, Jason ran toward the swings not caring about anything other than getting there. As he ran the hood on his red jacket fell back on his small shoulders, but again Jason didn't care, he was ready for a fun day.

Just as Clark was ready to go after Jason, Lois took his hand and when he looked at her he realized that he couldn't hold his son back. "I guess it has been a long few weeks for him," Clark said, as they walked toward where Jason was still running. They picked up the pace as he stopped and used his inhaler, coughing, but before they could reach him he was on his way again.

The swing he came to first was a white horse swing, and as Jason put his foot on the piece of wood that stuck out used to help push the swing into motion he was again caught up in strong arms but only momentarily until his hood was put back up and tied beneath his chin. After that he let his daddy push him and then did the rest on his own.

Once Jason was swinging, Clark turned around and found Lois seated near by on a green wooden park bench. She was on the phone, and he shook his head as he approached her. They had planned not to bring work with them, but he knew how driven she was as a reporter, and even as a mother, and for most of the two weeks she had been the one to stay at home with Jason because of his duties as Superman. Lois was beautiful even in a pair of blue jeans and a white cotton button down top. As she hung up the phone he sat down next to her and for a moment they both watched Jason as he interacted with another child who had gotten on the swing next to him. "So I thought we were warding off work for the day," he said, in a light teasing manor.

"That wasn't work it was my father, he and mom are on their way over," she said, as she tossed her phone into her purse shutting her eyes. "I swear the man has no understanding of the word 'no'. He thinks because he is a decorated General that he can just waltz in whenever he likes, and that we will all stand aside and let him make every decision for us," she said.

"We don't have to stay here; we could take him down to the pier." Clark didn't like seeing her upset, especially on a day that was meant for the three of them.

Lois leaned into his welcome embrace keeping her eyes glued on Jason. "No, if he get's his way he will back off and then maybe we can enjoy the day," she said, trying not to let it get to her.

As Jason and his new friend Petey had a horse race, he saw someone he knew, and brought the swing to a full stop. He got off of it and ran as fast as his legs would take him right into his Nanna's arms, though by the time he got to her he was wheezing and she was only able to give him a small hug before he had to take a puff of his inhaler.

Reluctantly, Lois had gotten up from the bench and approached her parents with her fiancé at her side, with her hand held in his. "Mother, daddy," Lois said, as Jason gave a handshake to The General.

Ella knew that Sam wanted to talk to their daughter alone and asked Jason to show her the swings, letting him lead the way as she glanced back at them only once. Both she had Sam had talked over what they had planned, and remembering the last time they had suggested something to Lois and the fight that broke out, Ella didn't want Jason to witness another argument.

Sam looked at the young man standing with his daughter. He was tall, a few inches more than he was, and was dressed in a casual sort of manor in jeans and a button down top. "Lois I thought maybe you and I could have a word alone," he said, expecting the young man to leave them to talk.

Not willing to let her father push her around, Lois kept her hand holding tight to Clark's. "What ever it is, you can tell us together, Clark and I are engaged," she said. Something in her wanted to laugh as he shifted from one foot to the other, and she knew he wasn't happy about what she had just said, but she didn't care.

If the expression on Sam Lane's face could grow anymore grave, Clark was certain that the man would shoot out Kryptonite beams of some sort or the other. He himself wasn't comfortable with the way Lois had just announced the engagement, mostly because he knew she had done it out of spite, to get back at him, but he stayed by her side, promising himself that they would talk later, even though he knew that she would likely get angry with him for what he would say.

"Then I guess my coming here to offer to help get Jason to a specialist in childhood allergies doesn't mean a damn thing to you does it?" He asked, hurt by the way he had just been treated.

The moment the words came out of his mouth she knew she had hurt him, but after all of the years of being ignored, or told that she wasn't good enough, Lois felt justified in it. "Daddy, Jason has a great doctor, someone who has been caring for him since he was two years old. He knows her, and he doesn't mind going to see her when he needs to. I am not willing to disrupt his life anymore than it already has just because you think you can do a better job of caring for him. Clark and I will do what we think is best for him from now on, so just stay out of the way." When she finished she let go of Clark's hand and walked away feeling hurt and broken just as she always did when they had confrontations.

It was evident even without the use of super powers, that the man standing before him had been knocked down several notches by his daughter's words, and Clark didn't know what to say to either of them. He couldn't imagine addressing his mom or even Ben in such a manor

After the shock wore off, Sam looked at Clark Kent and gave him a card. "All you have to do is give him my name, he was someone who served in the military under my command and is a fine young man, very smart." Sam walked past the young man and when he got to the sandbox he managed a smile as Jason ran to him. For the first time in a long time he opened his arms giving his small grandson a hug. "You be good to your mom and your dad," he said, when Jason pulled away from him.

Jason could tell that The General was sad and looked past him, only seeing his dad a short distance away. "Why do you and mommy always get mad?" he asked suddenly feeling a little sad himself.

"That is just the way of it, now go on and play," he said standing up.

Knowing never to disobey The General, Jason walked over to where Petey was playing with an old truck they had found buried in the sand, and soon his mind was back on playing.

Long after Sam and Ella had gone, Clark sat on another bench watching Jason play with his new friend, while keeping his hearing in tune with Lois. She was in the car crying, and he knew she needed time alone, for that matter he did too. This was a side of her he didn't know, the part of her he didn't understand. They had not spoken of her family much but he knew that the time for that had come, and he knew they would not agree on the matter of her parents.

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Instead of feeling good about pushing her father away and hurting him, Lois felt horrible. She knew he had wanted to help but his way of doing things just rubbed her the wrong way. After dabbing the tears off of her cheeks, Lois got out of the car and made her way back to the playground. Jason and his new friend were still playing in the sandbox and when she sat down next to Clark, he hesitated before putting his arm around her. Lois guessed he wasn't happy with how things had been handled, but was hopeful he would just leave it in the past and not bring it up. A couple of minutes later, Jason ran to them climbing onto Clark's lap and whispering something into his ear.

"Uh we will be right back," he said, as he gave her a gentle squeeze before he stood up and walked with Jason toward the public bathrooms.

Lois watched as Jason walked ahead of his father, and was glad that he had not been there to see how she had handled things with her own father. Wallowing in pity was not her style, but the longer she waited for them to return the more she thought about how she had handled things. Lois was half tempted to call her father and apologize but thought against it, and by the time Jason and Clark got back she managed to put on a smile for them.

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The moment they arrived home, Clark got that look in his eyes, and Lois gave him a kiss as in a blur he changed out of his regular cloths, into the famous blue suit, and took off for the sky. In the back seat Jason was still sulking, because they had dared to make him leave the park and his two new friends, Tobias, and Petey. Lois opened his door for him, but when she tried to help him get his seat belt unbuckled he pushed her hands away.

"I can do it myself," he said rudely.

Not wanting to fight her little boy, Lois didn't say anything as he struggled with the buckle. She waited by the door patiently, and when he finally got it unbuckled he once again told her he didn't need her help. Inside there was a message waiting on Clark's phone, and the voice on the machine was Martha wanting to know how her grandson was doing. Gladly Lois dialed her number and when she picked up, Lois settled on the sofa telling her about their day, even the part about her father.

Standing just inside his room, Jason listened as his mommy talked about the General, and the words she said were bad ones. Jason loved his grandpa, even if he couldn't call him that, and he didn't understand why his mommy got so mad at him all the time. He remembered when his daddy died and the yelling that went on in the kitchen, and he wondered if why the General had been so sad was because she had made him that way.

By the time she got off the phone with Martha, Lois dialed the number to her parent's house but only got the machine. "Daddy this is Lois, I wanted to tell you I am sorry for what I did in the park today. I hope you will call me back and we can talk." She hung up and then shut her eyes for a moment before she stood up from the sofa heading to Jason's room to get him ready for bed.

"Oh no run and hide," Jason said holding a small figure of a soldier in his left hand while the one his right hand had a gun pointing at him. "Pow, pow," The soldier in his left hand fell to the ground and Jason had the one in his right hand trample on him. "Now I will take over the island and gain all the secrets of the secret fort under the sands," said Jason, not noticing that his mom had arrived to get him ready for bed.

The fact that her son had such an active imagination always amazed her. Jason could think up different ways to play with his toys and never play the same game twice. "Jason, it's time to get ready for bed."

"No, I don't want to," he said pointedly ignoring her.

_So it was going to end up ending in a battle_, Lois thought, as she walked over and knelt down. "Do you want to try that again?"

"I said I don't want to!" he replied back, not looking at her as he moved away.

Lois stood up, picked him up, and got a fight from him. Jason managed to squirm out of her hands, and ran down the hall before she could even think. "Jason stop right now," she called out, as she went after him. As she approached the kitchen she heard the sliding door open, and picked up the pace. By the time she entered the small room, Lucky greeted her tracking muddy foot prints inside. "Oh no you don't," Lois said starting to get mad. She tugged Lucky outside looking around the darkened yard but didn't see her son. "Jason Kyle Kent front and center this minute!"

Hidden in his tree house, an extension of his fancy wooden swing set, Jason knew he was in big time trouble and it was all the more reason for him not to come out of hiding.

Realizing that if she found him at this point, she would likely do something she regretted, Lois went back inside and began to clean the muddy paw prints off the floor, hoping against hope that Superman would finish his duties and come home to help her handle their son. Five minutes later the floor was clean, and Lois went back outside with a flashlight in hand. "Jason I know you are out here, and I would like you to come out of hiding so that we can talk."

It was beginning to cool off outside, but Jason was content to stay where he was. The little boy was still angry about the things his mom had said about his grandpa, and if she was allowed to be mad, then he could as well. He stayed against the far side of his tree house as the flash light beam shot inside, and he could hear his mom getting closer to him. "I'm not coming out or down you got mad at the General so I can get mad at you," he finally said, knowing that she had seen him.

Now it added up, and Lois felt the last vestiges of her anger melt away, replaced by defeat and even sorrow. Jason was changing so much, into a child she hardly recognized at times, and yet she knew that most of the change was due to Richard's death, and adjusting to having another man fill in for the only father he had known. It was complicated even for her, and after a moment she climbed the ladder, and crawled inside the tree house with her son. "I'm sorry I got mad at him baby, it was wrong of me to do, and I did call him to tell him I was sorry," she said, letting him have his distance.

It was getting cold but Jason didn't want to go with her. "You said that he was a bad name, and he was sad today, he let me hug him because he was sad and I don't want to go inside with you because your mean mommy!"

His words stung worse than any words any person had ever said to her, and Lois shut her eyes. "Jason, I'm going to climb down out of this house, and I'm going to count to ten, when I finish counting I want you to be on your way to your room, because if you are not then I will come up there and I will spank you." Lois climbed out of the house, and when her feet touched the ground she began to count slowly.

Again he was angry, but he didn't want a spanking and did what she wanted. He walked silently to his room and let her help get his cloths changed. Without being told, and with his mom standing close by Jason brushed his teeth, and in his room he took his medicine, and held still while she put drops in his ears. When it was all over with he let her put covers over him, and let her kiss him but he didn't kiss her back or even acknowledge her when she told him that she loved him.

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It was close to midnight when Superman landed in back of his house, and usually he would pet Lucky and play with her, but he was aware that Lois was upset about something, and as he stepped inside of the house, he went from wearing his suit to wearing the jeans and shirt he had worn at the park. First he checked on Jason and found him sound asleep. After he was sure Jason was safe, Clark walked into the room he shared with Lois and found the lights out, though he knew she was awake. Without a sound he went from wearing jeans and a shirt, to only a pair of light weight, cotton pajama pants. He walked to his side of the bed, and lifted the covers, sliding under them. "Lois," he said softly.

The bed shifting on his side alerted her that Clark was home, and safe, before she heard him call her name. Lois turned over to face him taking a deep breath before letting it out. "Jason told me that I'm a mean mommy. He knows somehow that daddy and I got into a fight, and has been hateful. I had to threaten to spank him before he would come out of his tree house. Clark, what am I doing wrong?"

Clark moved closer to her, and slid his right arm under her allowing her to rest her cheek and her upper body against his chest. "You are not doing anything wrong Lois; all of this is just hard for him. Maybe it's time for you and your father to work things out, maybe that will help Jason in the long run," he said, feeling her body tense for a moment before she relaxed again.

There had always been so much resentment of her father, and Lois wasn't sure she could push aside so many years of feeling second best. "I guess I could try, he means well, but I just wish he could realize that his way is not always the best way," whispered Lois, as she shut her eyes.

Long after she had fallen asleep in his arms, Clark lay awake thinking about all that had happened today. He knew it wouldn't be easy for her, but hoped that she and her father could make some headway, and hoped that if they did, Jason would start to feel better, and not lash out so much

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Seated on the kitchen counter, Jason watched as his daddy cracked two eggs and let them fall into the skillet. He wasn't happy, because they had been talking about what happened last night, and Jason was still mad at his mommy.

With the eggs starting to fry, Clark got back to his little boy. "Jason, you are allowed to get upset, or angry about things you don't agree with, but you are not allowed to be rude to your mommy. What you told her last night hurt her feelings," he said, moving his finger under Jason's chin and applying pressure there until Jason looked up at him.

"I don't want you to tell me what to do," he said, in a sad small voice.

"I know you don't, but you are my little boy Jason, and it is my responsibility to take care of you."

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," he replied, looking back at the floor.

"We don't have to, but when mommy wakes up, you need to tell her you are sorry for what you said last night." He saw the anger and sadness in Jason's eyes, and gently lifted him off the counter hugging him. At first Jason didn't move to hug him back, and then, slowly, his arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck. Holding Jason in one arm, Clark flipped the eggs and turned his head to the left kissing Jason's cheek.

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The smells of good things to eat woke Lois from a good nights sleep, and after stretching she sat up and smiled. Having Clark in her life was the right thing, and as she stood up and pulled on her tan terrycloth rob, Lois hoped that today would be a better day for all three of them. When she arrived in the kitchen Jason was sitting at the table eating a piece of bacon, while stirring his cereal around in his bowl. It was evident that he wasn't happy, and she looked over at Clark who gave her a wink. "Good morning you two," she said announcing her presence. She watched as Jason stopped stirring his cereal, and saw him purse his lips.

Clark noticed the expression on Jason's face as well, while finishing with the last of the pancakes. He walked to the table and put them down in the center, and then walked behind Jason's chair and whispered, "That's enough."

"I won't say I'm sorry, I'm not!" he said forcefully, and slid out of his chair, running to his room where he let door slam shut.

Clark was not angry at what his son had just said or how he reacted, he just felt sad, and when he gathered Lois in his arms she clung to him. "I'm sorry," said Clark.

"I need to talk to him, but he's so angry, maybe he's right to be angry Clark, I started all of it the day I let Richard stay with me. It all comes back to the things **I did** doesn't it?"

Clark knew now was not the time to try and place blame, and if the truth was known, they were both at fault for this. "He needs to know that we are not going to let him keep this up," Clark finally said, as he looked down at her.

"So what do we do?"

"Get him to talk this through even if it takes all day," replied Clark, as he lowered his head, kissing her on the lips. "Eat. I'll go talk to him." He held her in his arms until she was ready to be left alone, waking out of the kitchen and down the hall to their son's room. When he tried the door it was locked, and with ease, Clark reached up on the door frame and got the key. As he unlocked the door, he felt resistance. "Jason, let go of the door," he said gently.

Jason did what is dad asked, and ran to his bed getting on his belly to crawl under it, but felt two hands on his legs. "I won't talk to her, I won't do it," he said, as he was lifted away from the floor. His daddy held on to him and Jason let him. "You can't make me tell her sorry when I'm not sorry," he said softly.

Sitting on the edge of his bed, Clark gently rocked him. "I don't think you like being angry at her, do you?" He asked.

"She told a fib. She said Richard was my daddy and she didn't say anything about you, not ever," he mumbled into his father's shoulder.

The pain in Jason ran deep, he knew, and Clark shut his eyes as he continued to gently rock him. "Your mommy didn't know what to do Jason. I left for Krypton before she knew about you, and I never told her where I was going, or if I would even return. What she did was to keep you safe, and to give you a father who she knew would love you, and that wasn't wrong."

"Why didn't you tell her," Jason asked, as he lifted his head away from his daddy's shoulder, to gaze into his sure blue eyes. He saw love there and as well sadness.

There were no easy answers, and yet Clark knew Jason needed something that he could understand, something that would help him get over all of this anger he was feeling. "Because I really wanted to go out there to see maybe if there were other Kryptonian people like me, and I knew if I told her and she asked me to stay I would."

"I hate how I feel daddy," Jason admitted.

"Will you tell me what you are feeling?" He watched as Jason pursed his lips, not out of anger, but just in thought.

He felt sad more than he felt happy, and worse when his mommy and the General said mean things to one another. "Why doesn't mommy love the General?" He asked avoiding the question.

Lois had been standing just out of sight, listening to them, and at his question she walked into the room. "Jason I love him, but we don't agree on things," she said, as she walked over to the bed stepping over a pair of jeans, and a few toys before she sat down next to them.

"Why can you get mad and say mean things, but when I get mad I get into trouble?" Jason looked at his mom as he was shifted to sit on his father's lap facing her, and rested his cheek against Clark's chest still feeling sad, as well as a bit angry.

Her little boy was too smart for his own good, and Lois didn't know how to answer him, but she knew she had to try. "I shouldn't have said mean things to your Grandpa baby, and I am going to tell him that I am sorry when he gets back to me. I know you are angry for what happened yesterday, and I am sorry that I hurt you, I never meant to do that," replied Lois, as he kept his eyes focused on her.

"I'm still sad, and mad, but I guess I said bad things too and I am sorry mommy," he finally said, leaning toward her. In a moment he was in her arms and rested his cheek against her shoulder with his face pressed against her neck. "Mommy when will I stop getting sad about things?" he asked keeping his face hidden.

There was no way for her to know that, and she knew that she and Clark needed to make more of a commitment to one another than simply living under one roof. "I don't know baby, but will you do me a favor? When you start to feel sad and angry, try and remember to talk to me or daddy okay, don't wait until you feel this bad," Lois said, rubbing her hand over his back.

"What if it's something you don't like?"

Lois kissed the top of his head. "We can still talk, and I promise to try and listen to you, but you are not allowed to say mean things to me."

"I'm hungry," Jason said, making both of his parents chuckle. He stayed in his mommy's arms as they walked to the kitchen, and both of them watched as his daddy used his heat vision to warm the food back up. "Daddy when I get as big as you can I do that too?"

A smile formed on Clark's face as Jason asked that question, and he walked over and gave both Jason and Lois a hug. "I'm not sure what powers you will have, but maybe you will be able to that. Now why don't we eat some of that good food." Clark took Jason, and put him down in a chair and then held a chair out for Lois, pushing it in before he sat down with them. The rest of breakfast was light and happy, and Clark hoped this would be the last of Jason's anger, but had a feeling that there would always be moments when Jason had resentment toward how his life had gone over the past few months.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10: The Calm before the Storm**

The basement was well lit and the various tables set up there were overflowing with papers, test tubes, and various sorts of samples along with a powerful microscope. Max hardly slept due to his guilt over what they were doing, and if he had a way he would tell Lois Lane what was happening to her son before it was too late. As he looked under the microscope, he watched the strain attack one of Jason's Kryptonian cells, watched as it ate its way through the cell until there was nothing left. The boy would start showing more symptoms very soon. Running his hand through his hair, Max picked up a ball point pen and began to write down his observations. His boss was upstairs having a meeting with some of the local criminals planning something undoubtedly bad for the world, but Max could only think about how he was going to try and get out of this if he could.

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With one week left of school before Summer Vacation, Lois was trying to find someone to come and stay with Jason during the day who would take him to the zoo or to the park, but she wasn't having much luck. It was a beautiful, sunny Sunday afternoon, and while she called the people who had taken care of Jason in the past, her two guys were outside having a bit of fun.

Wearing a bright yellow short sleeved shirt and a pair of jeans, Jason looked over at his father doubtfully as he held the catchers mitt out in front of him. "What if it hits me in the head?"

Standing a few feet away wearing a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt, Clark held the baseball in his hand. "I promise it won't hit you, but you have to hold that glove out just like you are now okay," he replied. As Clark started to toss the ball, Jason squeezed his eyes shut. "Jason, open your eyes," Clark said, and when Jason did he tossed the ball.

One moment the ball was in the air and the next it was in his brown mitt. A smile spread across the little boy's lips as he looked down at the ball. "I caught it daddy," he said, holding the ball close to his face to make sure he really had it in his hand.

"Now," said Clark, as he walked over to where Jason was standing. "Hold the ball like this," Clark said moving his hand into the position so that Jason could throw the ball properly. "And toss," Clark said, helping Jason with his first toss.

The ball didn't go very far and Jason sulked. "I can't do it daddy," sad Jason, in a small defeated voice as his eyes fell to the ground.

Clark knelt down next to his son and hugged him close. "It takes practice to be able to throw it pal. If you practice, it won't take long for you to learn," said Clark. Lois told him, before they came outside, that Jason had never liked sports, and Clark was hopeful that if he learned to toss the ball he might gain some confidence in his ability to do physical activities.

"Do I have to do this?" Jason asked, as he looked at his daddy.

"No, you don't," he said smiling. Jason hugged him again, and Clark fell backward making him laugh.

For a moment Jason rested his head against his father's chest, and then he got up and ran to his tree house. "Daddy, come up with me," Jason hollered, as he began to climb the ladder. When he was inside, he turned around and laughed as his daddy began to crawl in behind him. "We can have a…" Jason paused when he saw that look in his father's eyes and knew what it meant. "Daddy I want to go with you," he suddenly said, as Clark focused back on him.

"I know pal, but it wouldn't be safe for you." He heard more gun fire and floated out of the tree house. "Tell your mom I might be a while," he said, and then took off into the sky changing from the blue and white, to the blue and red of his suit and cape.

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After helping the police in Miami Florida chase down and catch three criminals who had robbed a bank and shot one of the tellers, Superman flew above the earth and stopped directly above the continents of North and South America. With his feet pointed toward the planet and his body standing erect, The Man of Steel shut his eyes and listened. The voices he heard, billions of them, were a jumble of cries, laughter, yelling, and soft speech. He took it all in filtering through everything at speeds that no human could ever begin to comprehend, and in that process he weeded out the voices that needed his help. There was never a moment when there wasn't someone needing his help, but he had begun to let go of some of the responsibilities, though it was very difficult for him to do. He flew to the Midwest where wild fires were consuming much of the land, and began the task of helping to try and get the fires out.

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It had been Jason's idea to look through the photo album she had made for Clark, and with her son seated next to her Lois told him stories about each picture. Jason had just asked her why none of the pictures had his daddy in them, and she knew instantly to which daddy he was referring.

"I made this for your daddy here. I thought maybe it would be better to just have the pictures of you alone, or the ones with me in them," Lois replied, hoping he understood.

For a five year old boy who loved both daddies, Jason didn't really understand why his new daddy would mind seeing the photos with his first daddy. "But Daddy would be said, my daddy Richard," Jason said unhappily. He felt her arm wrap around him, and leaned against her left side. "I miss him," Jason admitted.

Lois shut the book and set it aside bringing Jason into her arms, holding him close as she placed a kiss on top of his head. "I know you do, I miss him too," she admitted unafraid to say that. Richard had been an important person in both of their lives, and there wasn't a way, or a desire really to push him completely away.

Her arms around his body as he sat facing away from her, snuggled on her lap, made Jason feel safe. "When I get big like daddy, and when I learn to fly I'm going to find heaven so that I can see daddy Richard."

Again Lois kissed the top of his head, not having the strength to tell him that he wouldn't be able to do that. Her attention was drawn to his small hand holding her left hand out, as with his free hand he touched the engagement ring Clark had given to her.

The diamond sparkled from the rays of sunlight filtering through the blinds, and Jason touched it with his right finger. It was a little smaller than the one she had worn before his life had changed so much, but it was just as pretty to look at. "When will my heart stop hurting so much mommy?"

His words caught her off guard, but Lois composed herself and gently turned him until she was able to cradle him in her arms. Jason was a very smart little boy, whose life had changed drastically over the past few months. Lois wasn't sure when his pain would go away, but she knew he needed answers. "I wish I knew baby," she said, as she kissed both of his cheeks. "It will take time for both of us to stop hurting," Lois admitted.

As he yawned, putting his hand over his mouth Jason mumbled, "I want to stay the same as I am now."

Lois smiled down at her little boy amazed that he was letting her hold him in this manner. "Why do you want to do that?"

"If I stay the same, then daddy will know who I am when I am finished living, but if I get bigger he won't know me." That part scared him sometimes, because when he looked at the picture at his Granny's house of his new daddy, when he was a little boy, he looked different.

All she could do was gather him closer against her body, kissing him on both cheeks and his forehead. "Jason, he will know who you are even when you are all grown up. You are his little boy, and even though he is gone I believe that he can watch over you, so he will know you," Lois responded, barely able to hold back her tears.

Those words gave him some comfort, but Jason still hurt in his heart. "Did I cry very much when I was a baby?" He asked, not wanting to talk about his hurt anymore.

Lois knew she couldn't push him to talk about his pain, but now she was realizing how deep it still ran, and it worried her. "No, you were always very curious. When we brought you home, you still slept much of the time, but…" Recalling those times for Jason, which included Richard, seemed to have a healing effect, and she hoped it was the same for her little boy.

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Not long after lunch, Superman landed in the well protected back yard hidden by the high wall and the many trees. Lucky had been barking at a squirrel, but stopped and ran to him, and for a moment Superman gave her some attention. Once she went back to her treed squirrel, he opened the door to the house, and as he walked inside he changed into his normal cloths hearing elephants' cries coming from the TV in the family room. There he found Jason seated in his recliner giving his full attention to the movie he was watching. Standing silently against the door frame, Clark watched as Jason laughed at the antics of Tarzan and his friends.

Tarzan had taken the challenge that Turk had given him and had run full speed, jumping off of a high cliff. At first he seemed to like the fall, but then he did a belly flop into the water which seemed painful, causing Jason to giggle. Movement to his left caught his attention, and Jason pulled his feet up as his daddy crawled toward him. "I'm watching this movie daddy," he said, as his father reached him and got on his knees. Jason leaned forward and hugged him. "Do you know about Tarzan?"

Clark had been ready to tickle his son, but realized that Jason wanted to watch this movie. "Yes, he has been around for a while, but I don't think I have seen this movie," he admitted, hearing Lois on the phone back in their room. Even on the weekend she couldn't keep away from work, but he knew she loved what she did and wouldn't begrudge her of that. Clark stood up and gently lifted Jason off of the recliner, before he sat down settling Jason on his lap.

As Tarzan swam into the group of adult elephants, Tantor called out a warning that a piranha was after them, making Jason giggle again. "He's afraid of lots of things daddy," Jason informed, as the little elephant tried to tell it's mommy of the danger. Laugher filled the family room as Tarzan leapt out of the water and bit one of the adult elephant's tails, and Jason covered his mouth as the herd of elephants began to run toward the land.

This version was new, though Clark was enjoying Jason's reaction to what was happening more so than the movie itself. The world would never know how normal his life had become over the past eight and a half months, and Kal-El would fight to keep his son and Lois safe, as well as to keep what he had now.

It had been a long time since he had visited the Fortress and his parents, and Kal-El had yet to tell them all of the details of his life. Those Holograms in the Father Crystal seemed to have captured the essence of both parents' beings. With that knowledge in mind, Kal-El knew that they would not approve of the life he had chosen, but there was know way to change that. He would not change his life now because both Jason and Lois needed him, and Kal-El would face whatever he had to in order to keep his family safe.

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Finally finished with the phone conversations she had taken from the police department, Lois shut her flip phone and tossed it on the bed as she ran her fingers through her long auburn hair. She looked at the clock and shook her head as she walked down the hall toward the family room. When she arrived she found Clark and Jason on the floor playing with match box cars. Lois stood silently watching them; though she knew that Clark was aware of her presence she still enjoyed watching the two of them together. Again she thought about his being in their lives, and how no one else would ever know that the man who had more than once saved the world from destruction, had a life outside of that persona.

"Daddy, watch out," Jason shouted excitedly, as he zoomed his fancy red car, with the black stripe down both sides, towards the blue car his daddy was playing with. Jason crashed into his daddy's car. "Oh no we need to get them help," he said, leaving his car to crawl the short distance to where his ambulance was waiting. As he focused on getting his ambulance ready, he did not see his mommy's approach.

As Lois walked toward them Clark got distracted, and when she sat down next to him, and without thought, he leaned in and they kissed.

Seeing them kiss hurt, but Jason ignored it and started to gather up his toys, feeling suddenly left out as they hugged.

Spending time with his family like this without any interruption was a gift, and as he and Lois finally ended their kiss, Clark saw Jason leaving the room. "Hey I thought we were going to play with your cars," he said, as Jason turned around with a sad look on his little face.

Jason looked down at his bare feet, and when his mommy asked him to go to her, he did. When he was close enough, she pulled him onto her lap and hugged him close. The little boy sighed and rested his cheek against her shoulder.

"Jason, I didn't mean to cut into time with your daddy, were you upset that we kissed?" she asked, feeling another sigh from him. The love between she and Clark grew stronger every day, and she knew that sharing kisses with him and hugs might hurt Jason.

It was hard to tell them how he felt. He wasn't mad just sad, because when his mommy kissed someone, in Jason's eyes, it should still be his first daddy, Richard. "I don't want you and daddy to kiss," he finally said, as he lifted his cheek away from her shoulder looking into her eyes.

Lois leaned forward and kissed his cheek once before she answered that. "I know you don't baby, but I love your daddy and kissing him is a way I show him that I love him. I'm not doing that to hurt you," she said as he leaned into her embrace again. Lois held him close, rubbing her hand over his back as she looked over at Clark, once again feeling helpless. It was moments like these when she had doubts about continuing on in this relationship, but Lois also knew that Jason was still very young, and that she could not base her decisions on what he was feeling. It was important for her to listen to him, and then to try and get him to understand why they were going to stay here as a family.

After a moment of watching the two, Clark moved beside them, gathering both of them in his arms. He didn't like seeing Jason hurt any more than Lois, but he also knew that they had to be consistent, and that eventually their son would get used to having him in his life.

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Once Jason was feeling better, Lois suggested they take a walk around the neighborhood, and when Jason asked if he could ride his power-wheels truck both parents granted him permission. Ahead of them Jason drove his truck on the sidewalk, and Clark again felt for the first time that he finally fit in. He was guarded though, knowing that any day it could all be taken away. If Lex Luthor ever came out with the knowledge he had of Jason's paternity, he wasn't sure what would happen. There was also the question of whether or not anyone would believe him. Jason had only shown his powers when he was very upset, other than that he was normal even when it came to childhood illness's. "Your awfully quiet," he heard Lois say. "I was just thinking about this, what we are doing right now," replied Clark.

She heard the wonder in his voice and knew what he was thinking even though outside she couldn't say anything. Lex Luthor had his ways and did not know Clark's secret, and she would not risk that. "Are you thinking about how normal this is; a simple walk?"

How she knew him so well was beyond Clark, but when he had first come back, before she had remembered about them, Lois had talked to him how connected they were and sometimes like now it felt like she was right. When she asked him about how normal all of this was, Clark merely nodded his head and they continued to walk in companionable silence.

As they arrived back at the house, Jason drove past the driveway, and when Clark called out for him to stop he kept going. "Jason you need to turn around," he called out.

Jason was aware that they wanted him to turn around, but he was having fun. He stopped when heard his mom threaten time out, and turned his truck around driving past them into the driveway. He drove his truck in to the yard, and as he parked his truck near the small cement porch off of the house, both parents arrived by his side. "Mommy can we go again please?"

Lois watched as Clark walked over to Jason and knelt down. He was such an incredible father, and she knew that much of how he handled Jason had to do with how his parents had raised him.

As soon as his daddy knelt, down Jason knew the answer. "It's not fair," he said before Clark could get a word in. "Why can't we go around again? It isn't cold and we had fun," he said, looking at his feet.

It was obvious that Jason was still trying to figure out the things he could get away with, and what he could not. He also seemed to be trying to assert his own independence and Clark knew that, but he also knew that Jason had to know the limits and did not like being the bad guy. "Jason, I think you may know why," he said, willing to give his little boy a chance to figure that out on his own.

"My other daddy would have said yes," Jason mumbled, and started to move away when two very strong hands grasped around his upper arms holding him gently in place. Jason looked away, not wanting to see his daddy's face.

These were the times when he knew Jason didn't like him, and these were the times he knew he couldn't turn away from. "Jason, look at me," Clark said gently, watching as slowly his son's eyes fell upon his face.

All she wanted was for them not to have any more of these moments, though Lois knew that Clark had to assert a little bit of authority with Jason, and waited behind their son.

The sadness in Jason's expression tore at his heart, and all Clark could do was gather him in his arms. As he did, Jason held on to him, and he regretted in part how busy he and Lois had been during these past few weeks. They needed to spend time together as a family so that Jason could get used to this change in his life, but the world seemed to pull him away from that. Clark wasn't sure how they would handle the hurt his two jobs caused his little boy. "Why don't we go inside and figure out what we are going to have for dinner," Clark finally suggested, as he stood up bringing Jason with him. He smiled as Lois walked over to them and put his arm around her, as they walked to the door. Once they were inside he put Jason down on the counter and then all three of them decided that take out Chinese would be the best.

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His father's gentle, soothing voice was comforting. As Jason rested against Clark's right side, he listened to more of **The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe**, enjoying the story unfolding before him. "Daddy are wars bad?" Jason asked as Clark turned the page.

Placing the book face down over his lap, Clark turned toward his son. "Wars are very bad," he said, watching as Jason's brows furrowed while he thought about that.

"Why do they have wars?" As his father answered his question, Jason took his hand and held it out, putting his own hand against it, able to see how much larger his dad's hand was to his own.

"Most of the time there are wars when people don't agree on certain things," Clark said, watching as Jason compared their hands.

"That's like at school. If I don't want to share a toy with Tommy, and I get mad at him, Mrs. Grace won't let us fight because she says that it is very bad, but why doesn't anyone tell people that wars are bad?"

That question was one he had asked himself over the years. It was a decision that had been made on Krypton, not to fight over land, or rules, and it was something he himself could not understand. "That is why I try to help people Jason, to show them that fighting and hurting one another is not the right way," Clark replied.

Still looking at his hand against his father's, Jason thought about that a moment before he asked, "Will I help people one day?"

"Only if you want too," Clark said hoping that Jason would follow in his foot steps in some way. They wouldn't know until he reached puberty what powers he had, but what ever Jason made of his life would be good enough for Clark. "You need to go to sleep," he said, enfolding Jason's smaller hand in his own hand.

Jason was about to protest, but a yawn prevented that. As he yawned his daddy got out of his small bed. "But I like hearing stories daddy," Jason protested.

"I know you do. I like reading to you, but," Clark said as he reached out and placed his hand on top of Jason's head, "You need a good nights rest, and it's already past your bed time."

Having to go to bed was never any fun, and as his daddy leaned down to hug him, Jason held on. "Are you sure my daddy Richard won't be mad for me loving you?" he asked.

Clark knelt down beside Jason's bed as his little boy let go of him. "He wanted you to be happy, and he wanted that for your mommy as well." Jason yawned again, and Clark could tell he wasn't ready to be alone. He stood back up and found Jason's winter jacket draped over his small desk chair. After he got that, and a warm pair of pajama bottoms, Clark helped Jason get those on and lifted him off the bed, settling him against his right hip as he carried him into the master bedroom where Lois was working on a report. "Jason and I are going to look at the stars," he informed, as she looked up at them.

Putting down the pen and pad she had in her hands, Lois stood up and walked over to them. She hugged them both, kissing Jason's cheek, and then Clark's lips. "I love you munchkin," she said as Jason leaned out. Lois held him in her own arms as they rubbed their noses together. Once, a long time ago, Jason had seen some cartoon where two people did that and every since he liked to rub his nose to hers. When they looked over at Clark he had on his blue and red uniform. Lois walked to the man she loved and once again they all three shared a hug before he took Jason into his arms. In the back yard Lois watched as he cradled Jason against his chest and then looked up as they disappeared into the dark night sky.

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An hour later Superman touched down in the backyard with Jason sound asleep in his arms. It was chilly, but he knew that his son was warm enough, and quietly he entered the house finding Lucky waiting for them. He reached out with his free hand and gave her a little attention before he walked through the kitchen and down the hall to Jason's room. As he made it to Jason's bed, Superman sat down gently settling Jason on his lap as he removed the warm coat.

Suddenly Jason realized he was back in his bed and sat up grasping his father's hand before he could go. "I'm not tired," he said, even though his eyes were trying to close.

Superman knelt by Jason's side reaching out to put his hand behind Jason's head as his little boy nearly fell over the side of the bed. He eased Jason back against the pillow, as his eyes fell shut and placed a soft kiss against his cheek. As he stood up straight, Jason rolled over on his belly already sound asleep. Once Superman was sure his son was truly asleep, he walked out of the room taking Lucky outside before he entered his own room wearing the jeans and short sleeved short he had on before taking Jason to see the stars.

Settled in the queen sized bed she shared with her fiancée, Lois had her lap top propped against her legs as she typed the last part of an article she wanted to get out before the Monday morning addition. Over the past few days they had tied the jewelry store robberies, which had happened shortly after Clark's returned, to the cult. That in turn explained how the group had been able to finance the purchase of remote control Minivans with remote guns used to try and scare the public into letting Agent Jones go. A light breeze alerted her that Clark was there in their room, and when she looked up he had already changed into the cloths he had on before he left with Jason. "I'm just about finished with this," Lois said.

His eyes drank in the beauty that she was. Lois had on a peach silk robe that ran down just past her knees. The way she was sitting had caused the material to fall away from her left leg leaving nothing to the imagination. Clark hoped she would finish soon as he walked over to his dresser and began to undress.

Clicking the send button, Lois shut her computer down, and as she put it on her bedside table she turned toward Clark about to ask him how the star gazing had gone, when her eyes fell upon his nearly undressed body. All he had on was a pair of white cotton briefs, and as he turned around their eyes met, and she knew exactly what she wanted. Her eyes followed him as he walked around their bed, and when he reached her Lois stood up, her eyes locked with his as his hands untied the ribbon on the front of her robe letting it fall open. She reached up pressing her hand on the back of his head as his left hand touched upon her neck before it traveled down to her left breast.

Her skin was soft and Clark cupped her left breast as he brought his lips down to cover hers. Their kiss was gentle at first, and then it became more demanding as their desires took over. When he felt her hand press against his briefs he moaned into her mouth needing her touch. Soon her touch was not enough, and Clark broke the kiss and moved away from her removing the last article of clothing that was in their way. Reaching out he snaked his arm around her waist and pulled her against him covering her mouth with his.

The taste of him filled her mouth, and Lois clung to him as his hands cupped her bottom lifting her off the floor. When he broke the kiss she gasped and then Lois found her back pressed against the mattress as he moved over her.

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As Lois drifted to sleep against his chest, Clark heard cries for help the kind he could not ignore. It was nearly 2am, and the two of them had spent the first part of the night making love. Clark shut his eyes wanting to ignore what he was hearing, but he knew he could not. Reluctantly he turned to his left carefully moving her to rest against the mattress and her pillow. He watched her as she continued to sleep and then leaned forward placing a feather soft kiss against her full lips before he got out of their bed. In a blur of motion he was dressed in his suit and cape. After writing a letter, telling her how much he had enjoyed their time together, he placed that on his pillow, hesitating only a moment before he left their room ready to do the job he had been destined to do since birth.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11: The Illusion of Normal**

Waking up to find that she was in his arms was a rare gift. The past few weeks of their lives had become a busy blur both with work and with Clark's job as Superman. The first few weeks of summer, defined by the children being out of school, had brought about new problems all over the United States. It was enough to keep him busy and enough that in the morning Lois woke up and had to get not only herself ready, but also Jason. Resting on her right side with her back pressed up against his chest, Lois didn't move hoping that this wasn't some sort of dream.

The moment her heart rate changed Clark was aware that the woman he loved was waking up, but he remained still with his left arm slid under Lois's pillow and his right arm draped loosely over her body. For the first time in weeks he had not been called away from her and had managed to spend the whole night holding her in his arms. As he remained still he expanded his hearing until he could catch the heart beat of his son in the next room. Jason was blissfully asleep, and that gave them the opportunity to spend a more leisurely time together before the day officially began. Moving his arm more possessively around the top of her body, Clark gently pulled Lois more firmly against his length as he lifted his head and kissed along the back of her shoulder, up to her neck. He heard her gasp and slid his right hand beneath the sheet, which covered, their bodies managing to catch the shirt she was wearing to pull it up.

While his right hand worked her shirt up over her hips, Lois reached her left hand behind her rubbing it across his bare muscled chest gasping as his lips found their way to the back of her ear. In that moment she managed to turn over facing him while looking into his eyes as she pushed her hand into the loose confines of his boxers, while his hand cupped around her right breast. Her fingers barely fit around his arousal and when she began moving her fingers over him the movement of his fingers over her breasts stopped.

Her touch was what he loved the most, but as it always was that touch alone was not enough. Clark rolled over on his back taking away her touch and his as he got out of his boxers, and a moment later, when she was undressed, he lifted her up allowing her to straddle over him.

* * *

It was nearly 9am by the time Lois and Clark arrived in the news room. Both of them hurried to their desks still remembering their morning in bed making love. At her desk, Lois noticed she already had a few messages and began to sort through the ones on her answering machine first. The first few involved bills needing to be paid, and as the last one began to play, Lois was already reading her emails.

"_Miss. Lane you do not know who I am and we need to talk. I really can not give you any specifics but if you can meet me at the east pier around 1pm today I think maybe it will help you with something you… well just meet me by the old dock-house." _

As the message ended, Lois chose to play it back puzzled by what she was hearing. She listened to it a third time before she looked up to find Clark standing next to her desk. "What do you make of this?" she asked, already aware that he had likely heard it.

"I'm not entirely sure, but do you mind if I go along?"

"If it is someone I know you being there will scare him away, but maybe if he didn't know," she hinted, watching as he caught her meaning. Before Perry could yell at both of them, Lois got back to sorting through her messages while Clark went back to his desk to start sorting through his own.

* * *

An hour before Lois was supposed to go to the pier, Clark was called away. By the time she was ready to leave he was still gone, and the news had footage of him helping police with a hostage situation in LA involving two gangs. Knowing that she couldn't wait for his return, Lois left a note on his desk and then headed for the elevators. Outside the temperature was stifling, and by the time she hailed a cab she was sweating profusely.

The ride to the pier was uneventful and after paying the taxi driver, Lois made her way to the dock-house. Most of the people around the pier were either workers or homeless which caused Lois to clutch the pepper spray in her left hand tight. She arrived at the dock-house and as she waited, she wished she would have brought a bottle of water with her. A voice behind her startled her and she spun around to find an older man with a pair of dirty jeans and a sweat soaked shirt over his scrawny body.

"You looking for a young guy?"

"I'm not sure. I'm a reporter." Lois held onto her pepper spray trying not to gag at the stench rolling off of the man.

"Saw him here little bit ago. A car drove up and he got inside, thought I heard a gun shot but could have been a backfire." He looked her over noticing what she had in her hand which made him turn around and walk away. A few times he had been sprayed with the stuff and he was in no hurry to go through that again.

Frustrated that she had come down to the pier for nothing, Lois headed back for the main road feeling grimy, wishing there was a shower near by.

* * *

While his parents worked, Jason was having a grand time playing with Rebecca whose mom agreed to watch him for the duration of the summer. The two children had on their swim suits and were in the kiddy pool at the Metropolis Country Club. Mr. Davies was an architect and his salary allowed them to be members at the posh place, which along with the pool had a grill, an 18 hole golf course, and tennis courts.

Laughter drew her attention from the book she had been reading, and Ellen Davies watched as Jason and Rebecca floated around the kiddy pool on the floats she had brought with them. They had been playing hard for a half hour and with the knowledge of Jason's condition she stood up and walked over to the deep end which was almost 3 feet. "Jason honey you need to come sit out for a little bit."

"But we are having so much fun." As he said that he got out of the pool and walked over to the lounge chairs they were using. He sat down on his towel and coughed a little as Mrs. Davies got a box of juice out of the cooler she had packed. When Rebecca joined him he felt better and the two of them giggled and talked about a show they both liked while they had their rest. Once they had finished their drinks, and had rested, Rebecca's mom led them out to the big pool helping them both into their water wings.

* * *

When the doorbell rang, Grant got up from the sofa keeping his eyes on his I-pod which was playing a video he liked. He made it to the door and briefly looked up to find Jason's parents waiting. "They are in my sister's room. Mom had to get dad from the airport, but she said you knew that."

"Yes we knew," Lois said as the boy went back to the living room. Having been here a time before, Lois led the way up the stairs walking to the room ahead of them. The closed door in front of them had a large poster on it decorated with stickers and drawings. In the middle, in big bubble letters, was the name Rebecca. Lois knocked on the door and a moment later it opened revealing only the little girl. "Hello Rebecca is Jason with you?" she asked.

"He's under my bed."

"You weren't supposed to say anything," called out Jason from his hiding place. He rubbed his eyes and sneezed before he crawled out from beneath the small canopy bed his friend slept in. "Mommy may I stay the night with Rebecca?"

"No Munchkin, we need to get home." Lois watched as his shoulders hunched forward and frowned as he coughed and wiped his nose. Once Jason was settled in the back seat of the car, Lois settled in the passenger seat more than happy to let Clark drive. She had tried to find out where the man who she had waited at the docks for called from, but it was a pay phone, and there had been no other calls from him. As they drove home she wondered if this had anything to do with Lex Luthor. She and Clark had been so busy with the Cult killings, and everything else going on in their personal lives, that Luthor had been the last person to worry about until now. Looking around her seat she found Jason already asleep and then her gaze rested on the man next to her. "I was just wondering if maybe that call had anything to do with Luthor."

The mention of his name was enough to make Clark's blood boil. It was still hard to believe that after all Lex Luthor had done he had managed to get out of prison so fast. At that Clark felt guilty because if he had not gone away then Luthor would have been in prison, and on that note he would not have missed five years of Jason's life. "I need to make time to try and find out what he is up to," admitted Clark as he turned off the main road into their neighborhood.

Finding time to do anything other than deal with the recent riots and accidents due to summer vacation was not easy, but Lois knew he had to make the effort. This morning, she realized, would likely be the last morning for a while that she would wake up to find him in their bed. Upon arriving home Lois gathered up their files and folders from work while Clark tended to their son. Inside she put their folders in on the kitchen table before heading back to Jason's room.

As Clark dressed Jason for bed he noticed the pink tint to his skin and when Lois entered the room he alerted her to that, realizing that it was sunburn. He turned to face her as she reached out to touch his arm. "I thought you said he wasn't prone to getting sunburn."

The last time Jason had gotten even the hint of sunburn was the time they had gone to Florida when he was two. Since that time Lois had used sunscreen with about a 15 blocking level, and in the past that had always worked. "I'm not sure why he burned, but they were out in the sun most of the day," she whispered as she pulled only the sheet over Jason's sleeping form. The two of them stood by his bed for a moment looking down at the miracle their love had created.

Before he could say or do anything he heard gunfire and took Lois's hand. "I have to go," he said softly.

Turning to face him, Lois reached out and at the same time he leaned in. They shared a gentle kiss both lingering where they were a moment before he reluctantly pulled away. "I love you," she said without thought.

"I love you too." With out another word he walked through the hall changing on his way and by the time he got outside he was ready to go lend a hand in any way he could.

* * *

Something touching her bare arm woke Lois and as she opened her eyes they fell upon the small form of her son. "Jason?" she asked.

"I hurt mommy all on my arms and legs." Jason shut his eyes as she reached out to turn on the lamp and when they adjusted he found that only his mommy was in the bed.

Once her eyes had adjusted to the light Lois gazed at her son, noticing that his skin wasn't more burned than it had been when they put him to bed. "Why don't you crawl in on daddy's side of the bed while I go find some aloe lotion?" Jason did that without being told twice and in the bathroom she and Clark shared, Lois found what she needed. Her little boy held still as she applied the lotion to his sore body and when she finished Lois put the bottle on her bedside table before she turned off the light pulling the covers over both of them. Normally she didn't let Jason sleep with her, but tonight for some reason having him close made her feel better.

It didn't seem like too much later when Lois felt a soft breeze on her face. When she opened her eyes Clark was at his side of the bed preparing to take Jason back to his room. "He said his sunburn was bothering him."

At her words, Clark was careful as he lifted his sleeping son into his arms, holding him cradled against his chest for a moment as Jason shifted restlessly before he settled down. It was close to 3 in the morning as Clark laid his son down in his own bed, making sure Jason was comfortable he went back to Lois settling in next to her.

"What happened?" asked Lois curious about where he had been for the past seven hours.

As she turned over and moved closer to him, Clark sighed. "What didn't happen would be the better question? I had to stop two more gang fights, both in New York City and in Miami. Two of the members couldn't have been any older than 12," he said bothered by what he had seen. More and more it was the children who were starting to delve into violence, and he felt powerless to stop it.

By the tone of his voice, Lois could tell how much tonight had affected him, and she nuzzled her lips against the right side of his neck. "If you were not around to help things would be much worse than they are now," she tried.

He knew she was right, but it was still hard to watch the young fight for things they thought were right. Clark turned his head and their lips touched. Her lips molded against his and as they deepened the kiss in one quick move he moved her beneath him. Right now what he needed was the reality of her love, of their love, to wash away what he had witnessed tonight.

* * *

Having to kill his best geneticist had not made Lex happy. Max had left very few notes on Kryptonian genetics and there wasn't a way to insure that Superman and Lois wouldn't find a cure for their son. He had been aware for some time that the young man had been having doubts to the grand plan, and following him to the peer himself had been the right choice. Lex realized he had become sloppy in allowing his love for Kitty to get the best of him and he would not allow that to cloud his mind any longer. In the basement of the house they had been staying in for the past 5 months, Lex watched his new geneticist pouring over the notes Max had left. "Well?" asked Lex impatiently.

Alfonzo looked over the notes the other geneticist left but there wasn't anything in there about a cure. "Nothing boss," he said.

"You aren't looking hard enough. He made a call to Lois Lane, so he had to have some back up to help them. You have 48 hours to find a cure for this." Before the young man could answer him, Lex left to find Kitty and send her on an errand to try and observe the young boy to see if there were any changes in him.

* * *

Over the next few days the heat wave seemed to create more violence. There were more motor accidents and more frazzled nerves due to the oppressive humidity. At _The Planet_ the A/C was on the fritz and even with the fans located around the office it was still almost unbearable to work there. This type of activity seemed to take place every summer, and even Perry was stressed out due to change in management upstairs.

One morning when Lois walked into the office, again without the man she loved, everyone was up talking. After putting her things at her desk, Lois spotted Jimmy and walked over to him. "What's going on here?" she asked as he turned to face her.

"You know how every year this time the A/C goes on the fritz, and how two years ago there was talk of the paper going bankrupt?" He watched as her gaze focused in on him. "Well that's what's happening. The owners of the paper have mismanaged funds and if they can't come up with the money the bank wants in a week they will have to shut it down."

"Where is Perry?" Asked Lois, thinking of his heart attack two years ago.

"In his office but I'd steer clear," he warned watching her head that way despite his efforts to save her from getting yelled at.

Her boss was at his desk with his head down against the wooden surface and he didn't even look up when she shut the door. "Perry," she asked, concerned for him.

He lifted his head looking at his star reporter. "I guess you heard the news. I want you and Kent to find out what they have been doing upstairs to get us in this state. We have a week to find the answers and get this thing turned around." Perry said suddenly feeling a renewed sense of purpose.

Knowing that tone in his voice, Lois left the office returning to her desk where she began to make calls.

* * *

Seated in a lounge chair on the other side of the kiddy pool, a woman with long blond hair and sun glasses looked over the book she was reading at the children playing in the water. The small pool was a mini version of the larger pool beyond the cast iron fence, and her gaze was on one particular boy as he splashed around with the little girl. It was evident that the boy had sunburn, and after about an hour of play the two children were called by a woman to go to the shade and have rest. Other than the sunburn, Kitty didn't see anything different about the boy, and after he began to play again she decided it was time to get back to her boss.

Just outside the pool area a Limo pulled up and Kitty slipped inside finding Lex waiting. "He has a sunburn but that is all I noticed. He and the little girl were playing like any normal kid."

The fact that Jason had a sunburn caught Lex's attention. Before Max died he said that the use of sun screen on the boy was pointless. His skin was immune to the harmful rays of the sun. Lex smiled as the driver began to pull out of the Country Club's expansive parking lot. "This is good news Kitty. I think it is time for celebration." He pulled a bottle of Champaign out of a small fridge and popped the cork pouring its contents into two crystal wine glasses. Lex watched as she took a long drink and did not follow her.

The cold Champaign flowing down her throat was wonderful and as she set her class down she felt suddenly light headed. Kitty looked over at Lex and suddenly she realized what was happening. "Why?" she choked out as she felt more and more light headed.

"I can not be in love Kitty. I let that cloud my vision and there is too much at stake for me to risk anymore with you." Lex watched as her eyes rolled into the back of her head and broke the glass of wine he held in his own hands. Letting her die wasn't what he wanted but neither was being in love.

* * *

The part of Bruce that was the responsible side kept up with the news and when _The Star_ printed that the planet was in trouble it wasn't hard for him to obtain the documents needed to find the problem. One of the attorneys who was supposed to watch the dealings had slipped up in a major way and there was no way for _The Planet_ to recover. Knowing that the paper was one of the few honest ones in the industry, Bruce debated on the next course of action before he made a call to Wayne Enterprises. "Fox what would be in it for this company to obtain the rights to a very prominent news paper?" he asked as his friend answered the phone.

Hearing Bruce's voice at this time of morning was a surprise and his question even more so. "I would say it would depend on the paper. I would guess, if I had to, that you are referring to The _Daily Planet_."

"The only paper among the few that reports good honest news yes," Bruce responded as he glanced over more files he had gotten a hold of.

"In that case I would say we don't have much time to acquire it. Do you want me to contact the owners?" When Bruce gave the word, Fox got off the line with him and had his secretary set up a meeting for the young man in Metropolis.

* * *

Digging through _The Planet's_ financial records took nearly three days, but with Clark's help they found a lot of the problems with off shore investments and some dishonest handling of money. By the time the couple arrived home with their son that third evening, things were not looking well for their future financially and after dinner, Lois put Jason to bed early so they could discuss their future.

Seated on the sofa in the family room, Lois took a drink of the coffee, decaf, which Clark had brought to her and continued to look at the documents that she had on her lap. She looked up as Clark came back to her and set the papers aside. "So what do we do? It's hard to believe that _The Planet_ is in this bad a shape," admitted Lois as he took her hand.

"I'm not sure there is much we can do, but I'm sure that there has to be an answer somewhere out there, one that we can find before they foreclose on this," answered Clark, not sure where or how they would find the answer. The chirp of the phone drew him away from her and as he picked it up he was surprised to find a familiar voice on the other end. "Bruce," he said drawing Lois's attention as he sat back down. Clark listened to what Bruce had to say and was surprised. "I, Lois and I just finished looking through the records, that is a lot to fix," he said, as she looked at him expectantly.

On his end Bruce already had it figured out. "Not too hard, you forget that I have unlimited resources at my fingertips," he said as an alert sounded. He told Clark he had to go and once the phone was on it's cradled he headed for the Bat Cave.

On his end Clark put the phone down and turned to Lois. "Well looks like we may not have to worry about our financial future. That was Bruce; he says his company is looking into the purchase of _The Planet_ both here and abroad."

Like Clark Lois found herself surprised. "Did he say why?"

"He said it would be bad business to let one of the only honest papers fall through the cracks," Clark told her as he looked down the hall before he stood up. He approached his son's room in less than three seconds and opened the door finding Jason on the floor playing with his toys. "I thought your mom told you to stay in bed." He folded his arms in front of him as Jason lifted his head to look at him.

"I'm not tired," he pleaded.

"That doesn't matter Jason, what matters is that you do what you are asked." Clark walked over to his son and walked him over to the bed and helped him get settled, pulling the sheets over him as Jason blinked away the tears. "You stay in bed this time, do you understand?" he asked. He was tired of Jason's constant disobedience but at the same time not willing to let his own stress and worries lash out on his son.

Knowing that he would likely get into big trouble if he did get up Jason nodded his head. "What if I need to go to the potty?"

"If you need to then that is the one exception, or if you are afraid, but those will be the only two acceptable reasons." After kissing Jason's cheeks and forehead, Clark left the room shutting the door behind him before he went back to Lois.

When he sat down, Lois rested her head against his left shoulder a moment before he lifted his arms and drew her against him. "He was playing wasn't he?"

"He was, but he won't get up unless it is a true emergency," assured Clark as he turned his head and placed a kiss on her lips. As they got up to gather the documents together for work, and to get a snack before they headed to their room, Superman was needed.

As she always did, Lois knew that far away look in his eyes and accepted his kiss and hug before watching him in a flash of color change into that famous uniform. Lois walked with him to their backyard which was surrounded by a high stone wall and some trees lifting her eyes to the sky as he flew away.

* * *

At some point in the night, Lois woke up and found Clark's side of the bed still empty. She had been in a dead sleep but for some reason she felt an urgency to wake up. Sitting up in bed, Lois listened for anything out of the ordinary but she was far from having any super powers and after a moment she got out of bed and went across the hall to Jason's room. Her little boy was asleep in his bed, and his breathing was normal for him, but something worried her, so she went across the room and leaned forward kissing his left cheek. He was warm, and as she kissed his forehead it was evident to her that he had a slight fever. Without waking him, Lois went back to her bathroom and got the Children's Motrin and returned to his side in less than a minute. "Jason," she said as she rubbed her hand over his back.

Somewhere he heard his mommy calling his name, but Jason was comfortable and didn't want to wake up or even to move. He felt something rubbing over his back and after another moment he opened his eyes. "Mommy, I didn't get up," he said remembering what his daddy told him.

Lois kissed his small nose. "I know Munchkin. I need you to sit up so you can take some of this Motrin for me," she whispered. Lois helped him sit up and steadied him as she gave him the small plastic cup of Motrin which he took without complaint. Once he had swallowed it she helped him settle back onto the mattress and kissed him once more before heading back to her own bed. Her bed was still empty and Lois already missed the man she loved. As she settled down onto the mattress she hoped he would at least be home by morning but doubted he would be. The news had reported a quake in Northern California which had collapsed several intersections and killed nearly 100 people in the process. As she drifted to sleep, Lois thought about the morning nearly a week ago that she had spent with Clark and thought on that instead of how much she hated at times having to share him with the world.

* * *

**AN: **_My thanks goes out to Beeto for beta reading this chapter. Also thank you to all those who have read and reviewed. Reviewing helps me keep on track so keep them coming and don't stop now I have a lot more to go before this story finds an ending. _


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12: Symptoms**

The next few days seemed to be the busiest of the summer thus far. All of the newspapers and all of the local channels were all over the big story at hand which was the acquisition of _The Daily Planet_ by none other than Bruce Wayne, and Wayne Enterprises. Even Perry, whose stress levels had worried his wife, had calmed down now that the paper seemed to be in good hands.

Just outside _The Planet_, two days after the acquisition was complete, the press stood on the streets and sidewalks across from the building while the police tried to keep things in order. Inside _The Planet_, Bruce stood with Clark and Lois waiting for the press conference to start. As agreed he had given them the first interview and it had already been prepared for the afternoon addition. Bruce wasn't all that fond of publicity but he wanted to clear up the rumors which had been floating around.

Clark had been impressed by this offer of Bruce's, though neither of them had really spoken at length about it, and as they stood waiting, Lois was doing most of the talking or asking as it was, trying to get more out of him before the big speech.

"So what does a man like you do with owning a paper like this one?'' She finally asked watching as Clark looked down. Unlike her partner she had no qualms about getting to the bottom of this and she had her doubts about Bruce's intentions.

The woman standing before him reminded him of someone close to him. Like Lois, Rachel got to the truth of the matter and was not afraid to ask the questions needing to be asked. "Miss Lane," he started to say. Before he could answer her one of his own told him that the press conference was ready to begin. Leaving the two reporters inside, Bruce walked toward the entry, ready to make his speech and take a few questions.

Once he had gone, Lois spun around to face her partner. "You could have helped there you know," she said a bit frustrated at him.

That Bruce was here at all was something in of itself, and he knew when to ask questions and when to keep his mouth shut. "Lois he and I don't exactly get along," he tried.

"This is business Clark and probably one of the biggest stories in the history of the Planet aside from Superman." With that she turned around and headed for one of the side doors wanting to hear what Bruce Wayne had to say.

* * *

Settled on the floor in Rebecca's room Jason held the boy Barbie, the one his friend had named Sam. "Rebecca let's play something else now," he whined, not happy about having play dolls with her.

"Don't I play cars with you when I go to your house, and didn't I get into that yucky pond the last time?" she asked not willing to let him get out of this.

The pond had been her idea, and Jason pointed that out. "_You_ wanted to do that because _you_ wanted tadpoles." He tossed the doll aside and stood up. "I'm not playing with them." He turned around and as he opened the door Grant was waiting.

"Hey your mom is on TV, well she's standing around but Mom thought you might like to go see."

Anything was better than being stuck playing house with Rebecca so Jason followed Grant down to the den and saw the same man he had seen at the funeral. "That's Mr. Wayne," he said as he sat next to Grant.

Just as he had started back at his video game, Grant stopped and looked at the little boy next to him. "Yeah Bruce Wayne, he's the richest man in America, in the world I think."

"My daddy knows him. He has his own plane and when my other daddy died he sent us to Italy so we could get better," Jason informed as he saw his mommy. As the conference went on, Rebecca joined them sitting next to him and Jason pointed out his mom to her. "I thought my uncle Perry owned the paper," Jason said as the conference came to an end.

Mrs. Davies looked over at the little boy from where she was sitting working on her cross stitching. "No Perry is the editor, though he has a lot of say in what gets published. Why don't the two of you go outside and play for a while. It isn't as hot today."

When his sister and Jason left, Grant looked at his mom. "So does he really know Bruce Wayne, I mean what he said about his dad and all."

"I'm not sure, but you need to do more than play video games," she instructed as she set her stitching aside to answer the phone.

Reluctantly Grant shuffled out of the den and headed for his room where he could play games without his mom telling him what to do.

* * *

By the time 5pm rolled around, everything at _The Planet_ had calmed down considerably. At his desk Clark was working on his write up on public reaction to the recent takeover of the paper, and most of what he had found was that people were more willing to buy the paper simply because Bruce Wayne owned it. He shook his head as he finished his article, and quickly scanned the three page document before he hit the print button and stood up from his seat. As he stretched his arms over his head he looked over at Lois who was also gathering things together and after shutting down his computer and getting his briefcase he walked over to her. "Are you ready to go?" he asked.

Lois stretched and yawned before she looked at him. "I think so. How did your article turn out?" she asked as she stood up.

"Good I hope. Most of the people I spoke with said they will buy the paper simply because Bruce owns it," he said as he helped her to her feet.

"Whatever sells, though I hope they will read it as well." They both headed over to the printer and after getting their articles, dropping them off with Perry who as on the phone with his wife, they headed for the second level to get their car.

* * *

Watching TV with Rebecca could sometimes be as frustrating as playing with her. Now as they sat on the sofa Jason tried not to get interested in her girly show. Grant said it was girly and since he was a boy, Jason felt compelled to agree, though it wasn't as bad as he thought. "Does she really write her own music?" He thought about his old keyboard and the fact that he hadn't played on it since the boat.

"Yes she does, and her dad helps her because he's famous, now stop asking so many questions." Rebecca said trying to focus on the show.

As he was about to be bored out of his mind he heard his daddy's voice and slipped off the couch. Jason ran into the Foyer and hugged around Clark's legs. "Rebecca's making me watch Hannah Banana," Jason said as he was lifted up into strong arms.

"Her name is Hannah Montana," Rebecca called out from her spot on the sofa. She started to protest when her mom stood in front of the TV and then got up. "Bye Jason, I'll see you tomorrow." Once they were out the door she was permitted to get back to her show and hoped one day she could be famous just like the girl on TV.

* * *

Finally away from Rebecca Jason held on to his stuffed puppy dog. "Mommy do I have to go to Rebecca's?"

Lois looked back at her son surprised when he asked her that. "I though you enjoyed spending time with her," Lois commented.

Jason sighed. He did like her, but lately she had only wanted to play girl stuff and he didn't really like that as much as he used to. "She's fun but she wants to play Barbie all the time and then I had to watch Hannah Banana, but it wasn't too bad. The girl on the TV is famous well she writes her own music. Mommy may I have my keyboard?"

His mention of the keyboard was surprising but Lois recovered quickly telling him, "Yes, I put it in your closet on the shelf hoping you might want to get back to that. " After that Jason focused on his DVD movie and Lois leaned her head back against the seat as she held Clark's hand. The weekend would be upon them after tomorrow and Lois was hoping to go through Jason's wardrobe to see what her son had outgrown.

* * *

The next morning as Clark entered Jason's room and rubbed his hand over the boys back, he felt warmth radiating from his little body. Leaving Jason to sleep, Clark entered the room he share with Lois and asked her where the thermometer was. "He has a fever, " he told her in reply to her unasked question. Once he had that he walked back to their son's room and knelt by the bed. "Jason wake up pal," Clark said gently rubbing his back.

"I don't want to play Barbies," he mumbled before his blue eyes opened.

"Shh, I just need to take your temperature." When Jason was ready, Clark pushed a button right below where the readout was taken and put the tip of the thermometer in Jason's ear. In less than a second he had a reading. Jason was on his way back to sleep by then and Clark looked at Lois.

"Does he have a fever?" Whispered Lois as she walked behind where Clark was kneeling.

"100.1. I'll stay home with him."

"What about that conference with the Board of Education?" Lois asked as they left Jason to sleep.

"Do you think you can cover that?" Clark knew she already had a full plate but with Jason sick neither of them were to keen on leaving him with anyone else.

"I'll see what I can do, if worse comes to worse I'll get Gretchen to take my story and I'll go down there. Are your notes in your filing cabinet?" As he told her where to find them, Lois found the outfit she wanted to wear for the day and began to get dressed.

Watching her slip out of her night shirt and seeing her just in the silk panties she had just put on was enough to send Clark out of the room. He desired her more and more, not just for the physical aspect of their love, but just to hold her in his arms. In the kitchen he made a pot of coffee and some toast and as the coffee finished Lois entered the kitchen dressed in a tan knee length skirt and a white short sleeved blouse. She had a matching jacket draped over her left arm and she looked like she was in a hurry.

"I just remembered the meeting Perry wanted to have," she said as she ate a few bites of toast and drank a few sips of coffee before she was ready to leave.

Clark took her folders and jacket and after he put them in the back of the car he gathered her in his arms.

They shared a lingering kiss before she set on her way. "Call me if his fever gets worse," Lois called out of her window before taking off down the street.

Once she was out of site, Clark walked back inside and ate the rest of her breakfast. He cleaned the kitchen from last nights quick dinner and let Lucky inside playing with her for a little bit before she was ready to go lay down on the cool surface of the kitchen floor next to the sliding door. He checked on Jason with his x-ray vision and found nothing amiss, with his lungs or his ears. His son was still warm so Clark got the Motrin and sat on the edge of Jason's bed. "Hey Jason," he said as he stroked his fingers through the little boys brown hair.

His father's voice along with his touch woke him, and Jason made a face when he saw the Motrin. "I don't like it," he said in a pouty tone of voice.

"I know but it will bring your fever down." Clark helped Jason hold the cup and after the medicine was gone, he asked his little boy if he wanted to go rest in the recliner.

"Can I watch Shrek?"

"I think we can manage that," said Clark as he lifted Jason out of the bed, carrying him into the family room where he settled him on the well used recliner. Once the movie was going, Clark went to the kitchen and poured his son a cup of juice. He put a lid over it and stuck a straw inside before returning to Jason. "Try and drink that up," he said leaning in to place a kiss on Jason's warm forehead. Before he could leave, Jason grabbed his hand.

"Daddy what if someone needs you, like if someone gets really bad hurt and no one else can get to them?"

In response to his question, Clark knelt down beside him. "Right now you are the one who needs me, and if something happens where Superman has to help, I will fly you to your mom at _The Planet_." Jason seemed okay with that and Clark got up and went to his son's room to strip the sheets on his bed and wash them.

* * *

The Motrin worked to keep Jason's fever under control but it wasn't working to take it away. By the next Monday he was still struggling with the fever which had gone up to 101 the night before. The strange thing was that Jason wasn't complaining about anything hurting, however he was sleeping more than was usual for him and once again they were at he pediatricians office to try and find out what was happening to him.

Seated on his father's lap Jason listened to a story entitled Pickles the Fire Cat. The story was of a cat that was mean to all the other neighborhood cats, until some firemen adopted him. Once he was adopted he began to help rescue other cats in trees and learned to be a better cat. They finished the book just as his name was called out. "Daddy that was a very silly story, may we buy it at the book store?" asked Jason as he was set on his feet.

Today Clark and Jason were on their own. Lois had another meeting on the impending passing of the new law which would not allow teachers to strike during the school year, but she had promised to try and make it there. "We'll have to see how things go," Clark said as he took Jason's hand and led the way to the back of the office.

They waited in the small examining room for nearly ten minutes before the door opened revealing Lois. As soon as Jason saw his mommy he ran to her and hugged tight around her legs before she knelt down to pick him up. "I feel good mommy," Jason said as he proceeded to tell her about the silly book he and his daddy had read.

As she held him and kissed his forehead, Lois knew that while he felt good he still had a fever and it worried her. She walked over to the chair beside Clark and sat down holding on to Jason as he told her about this new book.

A few minutes after Lois arrived, the door opened again and Dr. Higdon walked into the room creating a silence as Jason rested his cheek against Lois's shoulder. "Now then what is this I hear about you running a fever?" As she asked that question she walked over to the small sink to the left of the door and washed her hands.

"Mommy says I have one but I'm not sick. I don't have any coughing and my ears are not hurting me at all," replied Jason as his mom settled him on the exam table. He didn't struggle as his mom took his shirt off and when Dr. Higdon instructed him, Jason tried to take a deep breath but found that he could not and coughed a little. "That didn't feel good," he admitted honestly as she told him simply to breath.

Not far from where Jason sat, Lois took Clark's hand waiting for the answer, hoping that it would be something simple. Both of them watched as Dr. Higdon listened to his heart and his chest. She also had him open his mouth so she could look at his throat.

After taking his temperature which was still at 100.7, she smiled at Jason and helped him with his shirt. "Now why don't you go out and get a lollipop while I have a talk with your mommy and daddy. Do you remember where the front desk is?" When Jason nodded his head she smiled and as the door shut she wrote a few things down on his chart, standard practice, before she faced Clark and Lois. "I'm fairly certain he has pneumonia," she said watching as Lois looked down.

"But he hasn't coughed or shown any signs." Lois stopped there and shook her head. "He's been sleeping more during the day, and he hasn't been as active, how could I have been so blind?" She asked that more for herself than to anyone, and then pulled it together as Jason walked into the room with his lollipop.

"Hey big guy, why don't you and I get checked out," suggested Clark. Jason took his hand without question leaving his mom to talk to Dr. Higdon.

Once they were gone, Lois listened to what she didn't want to hear. Jason would have to be admitted to the hospital for chest X-rays and observation for at least the next two days. "We'll meet you there I guess," Lois said as she got her purse and headed out to meet Clark and Jason.

Outside it was still hot but the sun had gone behind some clouds and a distant rumble of thunder promised a storm, and mirrored the way Lois was feeling. With Jason in his father's truck, Lois told Clark where they were headed next. "I feel like a bad parent Clark. This sickness or tendency for him to be sick has been something I've dealt with since he was born but usually I can catch it." When he drew her into his arms she didn't protest. "I'll see you there." They shared a kiss and Lois got in her car and followed behind Clark on their way to the hospital.

* * *

After the chest X-ray and getting his blood drawn along with having an IV stuck into his wrist, Jason fell asleep as soon as the nurses left his room. The technician told them that Dr. Higdon would be in to give them word on Jason's condition after dinner, so Lois settled next to Clark on the sofa feeling tired and still upset.

Aware that she was upset, Clark wrapped his left arm around her and held her close. He felt guilty as well because even with Super powers he hadn't anticipated this.

Looking at her left hand, Lois's eyes focused on the ring and more guilt poured over her as she thought about Clark and the fact that she had not made a commitment to him. There wasn't anything to be afraid of, and though she knew that being his wife one day wouldn't be easy, Lois also knew that sometimes one had to fight for the things that were most important, and loving him aside from her son was her top priority. As she was going to tell him that, the door opened and Dr. Higdon walked in.

"His lungs on the right side are full of fluid. I am very surprised that they have not collapsed yet, but we will need to insert chest tubes to drain the fluid before they can collapse. This will require a stay of at least a week depending on how well he does."

Clark held Lois close not sure what she was talking about and asked, "Will you explain what this is?" Both he and Lois listened as she explained it and neither of them liked the idea of having that done, however it was obvious that something had to happen, and after they both signed the consent form, they walked over to Jason's bed where he still slept. Clark stood behind Lois as she leaned in and kissed Jason's cheeks, an action that woke him from his sleep.

"Do we get to go home now?"

There was a look of hope in those blue eyes and Lois wasn't sure what to tell him. "Not yet baby." She gave him another kiss and looked back at Clark. They would have to tell him something, but how to do so without scaring him was the question.

"Jason, in a few minutes we are going to go with you to another room. When we get there you are going to rest and the doctors are going to try and get you better so you won't have anymore fever." Clark wasn't sure how he came up with that, but Jason didn't seem to worry which was a relief to both of them.

A few minutes later Sarah arrived with another nurse and Jason asked her for some Ginger Ale. She smiled at him as she and the other nurse got him ready for the travel to the surgery room. "Well not yet, but after you wake up I will make sure you have a cup waiting how will that be?" Her little patient seemed satisfied with that answer and once they had everything hooked to his bed; the two women wheeled him out with both parents walking at either side of the bed.

Everything was fine for Jason until he realized that he was going to go in to the new room all by himself, and then all at once he was trying to get everything unhooked so he didn't have to go in. "Nooo noo," he yelled as his daddy was permitted to step in and hold him.

Mindful of the two heart monitors and the IV attached to his son, Clark picked him up cradling him close as Lois moved beside him. "Shhh," he crooned as he gently swayed with him. While he held Jason, Clark saw an older man insert needle in to one of the tubes attached to Jason's IV, and in a few seconds Jason was starting to get very sleepy. "Do you mind if I carry him inside?" asked Clark.

"I think that would be wise," answered the anesthesiologist.

Clark turned letting Lois kiss their son and leaned his head down to kiss her before he walked slowly into the surgery room, with Sarah behind him holding his IV bag. When he got to the surgical table, Clark leaned forward and as he put Jason down his son managed to cling to him even as tired as he was. "Shh, just rest and mommy and I will be there when you wake up," Clark said as he stroked his fingers through Jason's hair. The anesthesiologist handed him a small oxygen mask like the one for his nebulizer and Clark put that over Jason's mouth and nose. Jason took in a few deep breaths and then he was asleep.

As soon as Clark walked out of the surgical room, Lois was in his arms holding him as he held her. "Did they say how long this would take?"

"An hour give or take," he said as he placed a kiss on top of her head. When she was ready he led her over to the waiting room and the two of them sat down on a sofa and began their wait.

* * *

By Jason's normal bedtime, the little boy was in his hospital room sound asleep. Dr. Higdon said they had cleared out most of the infection but also told them that the next few hours would tell them if his lungs would recover or if they would have to go back into surgery and insert a second set of tubes for the lower quadrant. In any case Jason had been sedated and would likely not be awake until morning.

Again Clark sat on the sofa with Lois against his left side. Seeing Jason so sick wasn't easy, and one thought kept creeping into his head, why hadn't he been able to see this before it had gotten so bad. He had super hearing, he had x-ray vision, but in his defense he hadn't known what to really look for, though just a few minutes after they wheeled Jason inside he had been able to see what lungs infected with pneumonia looked like and would do better the next time.

"I hate it," Lois said with her hand still in Clark's. "Jason should be playing without all of this. I smoked for the first three months of my pregnancy," she said as she let go of his hand and stood up.

Lois began to pace, and Clark looked at her, knowing how she felt, though he knew that this really wasn't her fault or his. "Lois," he finally said as he stood up and walked to her. When he reached for her she moved away and he let his left hand drop down to his side.

Realizing that he only wanted to comfort her, Lois went back to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her cheek against his chest as he held on to her. "I'm sorry. I've been through this so many times, but he's never had chest tubes," she said as she felt his arms tighten around her.

"We'll get him through this Lois, both of us together," he assured her. Suddenly the beep of his heart monitor started to quicken and when they looked at Jason he began to thrash about and gasp for air even under the heavy sedation. The moment they arrived by his side an older nurse named Anna arrived by his side and hit the emergency button, as she listened to his heart and chest. "We need to get him back down to surgery," she said as Jason began to shake and convulse.

The two parents stood helpless aside as more medical personal arrived and a minute later they were left alone to wait. This time they both paced the room, and while Lois muttered to herself Clark focused his hearing on Jason.

* * *

As the sun began to rise over the great busy city of Metropolis, Superman landed unnoticed on the top of the hospital roof. He walked between two exhaust vents and changed into the slacks and shirt he had worn when he and Lois arrived at the hospital with Jason and then entered the building through the roof entrance. Jason's fever had spiked at 104.6, which had caused him to seize, and a secondary infection had been the cause.

An avalanche in Colorado which had threatened to bury a resort town had called him away; though he would not have left if Lois wouldn't have persuaded him. She made him realize that by not going the world would have asked where he was, and at this time they didn't need any more complications than they were already facing.

When he arrived at Jason's room both mother and son were asleep. Lois was on the sofa and Jason was in his bed hooked up to heart monitors, an IV, and a catheter connected to a urine bag since he was more or less bedridden. Without a sound he walked over to his son's bed and leaned forward placing a light kiss on Jason's brow. His forehead wasn't as warm, and after rubbing his hand over Jason's, Clark walked over to Lois and knelt down by the couch. With his left hand he reached out and placed it on her cheek gently caressing her there as she began to stir.

"They had to insert the second set of tubes," Lois said as she opened her eyes, unable to hold back the tears which had threatened to fall all night. Clark sat her up and then she was in his arms and didn't fight back her need to cry. "This is all my fault," she sobbed softly against his chest.

"How is it your fault?" he asked as he held her close stroking his fingers through her hair.

Lois shut her eyes taking in a deep breath. "I'm his mommy Clark. I'm supposed to know when he's sick. I should have taken him to the doctor the moment his fever didn't go away, and instead I did what I always do," she said, as she felt him lift her up to sit on his lap.

"You are the most loving mother I have ever met Lois, and Jason knows that as I do. None of this was your fault or my fault," he said as she nodded her head. Clark looked over at the bed and kissed Lois's head before he helped her to her feet. Jason was waking and once Lois was more composed they both walked to his bed. "Hey there," Clark said as Jason opened his eyes.

There was something in his nose, though when Jason tried to lift his hand to touch it he could barely manage. "I'm tired," he said looking from his daddy to his mommy.

"You had a very long night baby," Lois said as she took his small hand lifting it to her lips where she placed a kiss on it.

It was hard to breath, but Jason was too tired to really worry about that. "Daddy hold me," he finally managed to say.

Well aware that the nurses would likely get after him, Clark was about to tell Jason that he couldn't but one look at those frightened blue eyes and he couldn't. With Lois to help him, Clark easily lifted his child from the bed making sure not to dislodge any of the tubes hooked to him. Clark sat down in the rocking chair next to the bed and Jason relaxed in his arms.

"I need to go potty daddy," Jason whispered.

"You can do that big guy." Lois came to the aid and told him about the bag that would catch his pee pee, though Jason was afraid and wouldn't do that. A few _minutes_ later he was asleep and again with Lois there to help him Clark got him back into the bed. As they pulled the blankets over him Nurse Judy arrived to check on him.

"He was awake not to long ago needing to use the bathroom but he was afraid," Lois said as the nurse checked the tubes in his chest and the drainage bags connected to them.

She also checked the bag attached to the catheter and showed Lois that Jason had already made use of that. "Most of the time when he is asleep his body will go on and flush out what is needed. When he wakes up again we need to try and get him to eat," she said before she left to go on her other rounds.

While Clark stood by Jason on the left side of the bed, Lois sat down in the rocking chair and shut her eyes. She was worried not only for their son but also for how much work they had missed already. One of them would have to go back to work, and she knew that they would have to split the time, but right now she couldn't think about that. It was evident that they would not be leaving any time soon and despite her best efforts Lois drifted off to sleep.

Once she was asleep, Clark easily lifted Lois into his arms and carried her to the small couch where he laid her down placing a blanket over her before he took her place by Jason's side. As he watched his son sleep he began to wonder if this sickness in him wasn't something entirely different, something a human doctor would not be able to catch. As he thought on that he wondered how he would be able to find out. Shutting his eyes Clark too drifted off into a light sleep, emotionally drained due to what his little boy was going through, and as he slept he heard his father's voice in the distance but couldn't hear what he was saying.

* * *

**AN: **_Again I have to give out a huge thank you to Beeto for keeping up with me. The story is starting to flow. Thanks for everyone who reads this and again Review if you can because I really love reviews. _


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13: Complications**

A little boy's cries could be heard just outside of room 311, and not far from the closed door stood two parents in anguish. Clark held Lois in his arms as he ached to go in and save Jason from something that he couldn't stop. A week ago they arrived at the hospital because Jason's right lungs were full of fluid. To help remedy that chest tubes had been inserted. Now their little boy was not only fighting the infection in his lungs but also the secondary infection caused by the insertion of the tubes.

Listening to her son cry and sometimes even scream was heart wrenching and Lois clung to Clark as if he were a life line thrown to her in a stormy sea. Jason had never been so sick, and she was afraid of losing him. Finally the door opened and Dr. Higdon permitted them to go in. Lois left Clark to talk to her, practically running to Jason's side as he continued to cry. "I'm here baby," she crooned as she took his small hand to hold.

As Lois tended to their son, Clark listened as the doctor told him her worries for Jason.

"The secondary infection is finally clearing up, but I heard crackling in his left lungs. I want to have another set of chest x-rays taken just as a precaution. I also need to draw more of his blood to run some other tests to see why his body seems so unable to fight off these infections." Janice Higdon knew how hard it was for a parent to be faced with such sickness in a child, but these two had cooperated, making her job easier in the long run. "I'll give him time to settle down before we do anything else."

Once she was gone, Clark walked into the room and as soon as he arrived at the bed, Jason was asking that his mommy hold him. This time they couldn't move him, though Clark quickly found a solution, and after easing Jason to the far left side of the bed Lois was able to lie beside him which seemed to help.

"When can I go home? I want to go home," Jason whispered as he rested his cheek against Lois's left side.

Lois held Jason close kissing the top of his head. "They have to make you better first baby," she replied as he began to cry softly against her chest. "Shhh," she whispered softly as she began to rub her hand over his back. She held him while Clark sat next to them holding Jason's free hand as he cried himself to sleep. Once he was down, Lois got out of his bed and walked to the other side into Clark's arms. "Why isn't he getting better?"

"Dr. Higdon wants to find the answers. She said that she heard crackling in his left lungs, and that she wants to order another x-ray session." He felt Lois's tears against his chest and held her closer, not having anything else he could say to offer her any comfort.

* * *

An hour later Sarah arrived with Anna, two nurses Jason actually liked. He was awake watching Sponge Bob while he sipped on the Ginger Ale which Sarah had left for him. Lois was on the phone with the office and Clark was in the bed next to Jason helping him with the drink.

"Sarah, do you like Sponge Bob?" Jason asked as he let his daddy put his cup down on the table in front of them.

The young nurse smiled as she walked over to the side of the bed where Jason was resting. "I sure do. I like Patrick the best," she answered as she did the easy part first, listening to his heart beat and then to his chest both on the right and left side. As she wrote down what she observed on his charts, Anna came up beside her and the young woman knew it was time. She looked at Clark who nodded his head and then got out what she needed to draw his blood.

His show was funny, and Jason didn't really notice as Sarah took his arm, until he felt something wet and cold. That was when he pulled it away. "Daddy mommy no," he said starting to fight.

As she arrived at the bed, Jason began to cry and Lois leaned over Clark helping to hold Jason as he began to scream. He stopped trying to fight and just cried as his blood was taken. Once it was over, while Anna left with the sample, Sarah asked Lois if she wanted to hold Jason while they got ready for the next part. Lois sat down in the rocking chair as Clark got out of the bed and in a moment, despite all that was hooked to her son's body, Lois held him cradled in her arms as he continued to cry. "I have you now baby," she crooned as he began to settle down. Jason had on a hospital issued gown and when Sarah handed her a blanket she wrapped it around him remembering the time he had been two when he was here with pneumonia, only then it had not been nearly as traumatic.

Not long after Sarah left, as Jason was settling into a much needed rest, the x-ray technicians arrived to take him down to the first floor to radiology. "I want to carry him if it's possible,"Lois said to the young man who agreed to that. Before she got up, Michael knelt down as Jason huddled closer to her.

"He knew how scary all this was to the little boy and took a few stickers out of his pocket. "Which one do you like best?"

"None of them," Jason said as he turned his face to hide against his mom's chest.

"Jason he's going to unhook your heart monitor so that we can go downstairs. I am going to carry you down there okay?" She didn't get a response but Jason didn't fight as Michael unplugged the monitors from the two patches on his chest. Once that was done the young man stepped aside and Clark helped her stand up.

"If you don't mind Miss Lane, getting you to sit down in the wheel chair would be easier on all three of us."

Lois did as Michael suggested and in a moment they were on their way. Jason didn't move even when a funny clown they passed by tried to give him a balloon. Her baby had taken his limit on being here and Lois hated everything they were doing to him even though she knew it was necessary.

When they arrived at radiology, Jason had his arms wrapped around his mom's chest and held on tighter when he realized she was going to leave him. He felt someone's hands on his back and clung to her with all the strength he could muster. "No don't touch me," he cried, not realizing that it was his daddy.

"Jason its daddy," Clark said as he rubbed his hand over his son's back. Tears were falling down Lois's face and Clark was having a hard time keeping his own emotions in check.

Once he knew that it was his father's touch on his back, Jason let go and cried as Clark held him. "I want you to stay here daddy," he sobbed as Clark carried him over to the table.

"I know buddy, but your mommy and I will be right outside that door and no one will hurt you. They just want to take a picture of your chest." Clark leaned over to lay him down but Jason held on tight crying harder. He stood back up and pulled the blanket around his son's small body swaying with him as Jason fought to catch his breath. Another person entered the room and Clark realized they were going to sedate him and knew it was for the best. Jason wasn't aware of anything and in a minutes time he was asleep. Once their son was settled on the table, Clark and Lois left the room.

* * *

Finding out that her grandson was sick in the hospital was all it took for Martha to purchase two tickets for Metropolis. Clark told her last night that the doctor was worried about some sort of cancer causing all of this, and after telling that to Ben he helped her pack up for the both of them. The next morning they were on a plane for the big city. Their journey lasted four hours due to a storm that rerouted their flight, and when they finally got to the house it was evident that the place needed to be cleaned.

Ben knew Martha wanted to be with their grandson and also noticed that the house needed to be cleaned. There were dishes still on the tables and in the sink and when he offered to stay behind to get things cleaned up she hugged him close and they shared a kiss. "You go on and be with them, and I'll come tonight." Ben waited with Martha until her cab arrived and once she was gone he set about cleaning up and also looking after Lucky who had been very lonely without Jason around.

* * *

It took another hour to arrive at the hospital and after getting the right room number, Martha went up to pediatrics. She arrived at room 311 finding the door partially opened and gently pushed it enough so that she could get inside. The room was dimly lit but she could see her son walking toward her and when he was close enough she hugged him.

"_How are you and Lois holding up?" _Clark heard his mom whisper as he let her go. "We are doing our best. I've tried to get her to get away at least one night to go home but she refuses to go. Her sister and even Perry and Alice have been by offering to let both of us have a little time to ourselves but nothings working," he whispered.

"When she wakes up I'll have a talk with her." Martha followed Clark over to a sofa and sat down hearing the beep of the heart monitor and as well Jason's labored breathing. "Did they have to insert those chest tubes in his left lungs?"

"Last night his lungs collapsed on that side. Mom I need to go find answers if I can. Lois knows I'm going and I'll be back if anything happens." When she hugged him he drew in the love from her before he left the room.

* * *

Superman landed among a row of tall bushes and when he came out from behind them he had on jeans and a button down top. He walked up several stairs coming to the large entry to the huge mansion. Clark knocked on the door and waited for only a moment before it opened and Alfred greeted him.

"Master Bruce is still in bed I'm afraid, but if you will wait in the living room I will fetch him."

Clark knew that Bruce kept late nights as Batman and knew that being human Bruce needed sleep, but he was not willing to let Jason suffer any more than he had too. Bruce told him, not so long ago, that he had unlimited resources at his finger tips and Clark was counting on that now. As he sat down on a very comfortable leather sofa, he shut his eyes resting his head against his hands. He heard Bruce approach long before the young man entered the room and remained still.

Being pulled out of bed by Clark was not something that had pleased Bruce but seeing his friend now he realized something was amiss. For the past three days no one had seen Superman and Bruce had been planning on finding out why. "You look like Hell," he said folding his arms against his chest, as he stood in front of Clark Kent.

Clark felt like he had walked through hell, not physically but emotionally. He looked at Bruce and offered a weak smile. "I need you to hear me out." He waited and when Bruce sat down he began. "My son is very sick, and none of it adds up. Clark told him about the sunburn, and then the pneumonia, about the secondary infection and everything else in between. "If he has my blood my build in him he should be able to fight it off."

What Clark was saying was true, and Bruce kept to his own work, but he could see how much this was affecting the man seated in front of him, and knew that if the boy died the world would suffer. "Bring me a blood sample. I'll need your blood too," he said before he realized that would be easier said than done. "Get me Jason's blood and when you return I'll figure out how we can get yours." He stretched and led Clark to the front of the house. "Get some sleep," he said as his friend walked out the door.

"I'll try."

* * *

Seated next to Martha Lois realized what Clark was trying to tell her, what everyone had tried to say. She had to get some rest and get away so that she could be there for her little boy. "I don't know how I'll rest being away from him. I know you will be able to handle what ever comes but he's so sick."

Martha hugged her and reassured her that all would be well. "My Clark won't let anything happen to his little boy." When Lois was ready Martha let her go and then both of them walked to Jason's bed as he opened his eyes.

"Granny?"

"Hello sweet angel," Martha said as she leaned in and kissed his warm forehead.

Jason coughed and cried out at the pain that action brought. He felt his Granny take his hand and managed a small smile when she kissed his hand. "I have tubes in me, and I have a bag for my pee pee," he told her as she sat down next to his bed.

"It sounds like the doctors and nurses are doing their best to take care of you."

"I want to go home," he replied sadly

Hearing the sad tone in his voice broke her heart and Martha stood up leaning over to hug him gently. "You will soon angel."

With Martha to sit with Jason, Lois walked out of his room and wandered down the hall. She had never felt so helpless and all she could think about was how this was her fault. If she had not been so hell bent on getting the Pulitzer, then her baby wouldn't be here. As Lois continued to walk she found herself on the other side of floor three in maternity and stopped at one of the windows looking down at two newborns. Who ever parented those babies, Lois hoped that they would have better care than what she had given to Jason. In the glass she could see her reflection and a moment later Clark's

In less than a moment he held Lois in his arms as he had done several times since they arrived. She was crying again and all he could do was hold her until she stopped. "Are you ready to go back to the house for a while?" He felt her head nod and led her to the elevators.

As they got into their car Lois looked at the building. "Is he okay?" she asked as her voice trembled.

"Mom is watching TV with him," he said as he pulled out onto the street holding her hand in his. They drove in silence and when they got to the house Lois had gone to sleep.

* * *

"No cure Mr. Luthor. What ever Max was going to tell her there are no answers to be found here."

Relief crossed his face as the young geneticist went back to work on another virus to work on Superman. Lex was slowly getting his future in hand and already had plans to buy some land down south in the Islands. Once he had the land he would move his base of operations there and once Superman and his son were out of the way he would carry out a plan he once had tried with California. This time there would be no one to stop him.

* * *

It was getting dark when Clark arrived at his home and after he took the vile of blood marked with JK, Bruce led Clark inside where Fox was waiting. "The only way we can get your blood is to expose you to Kryptonite." Bruce said. He wouldn't do anything without Clark's consent and as his friend sat down he got his answer with a nod of the head.

Alfred opened the box and Clark squeezed his eyes shut. It didn't take long for the green substance to weaken him enough to draw his blood and as soon as the needle was out the box was closed and Alfred took it away.

While Clark recovered as best he could without the light of the sun, Bruce sat silently next to him. He and Fox had talked about Superman's allergy to Kryptonite and already his friend was trying to think of a way for The Man of Steel to build up immunity to it.

"How long will it take for you to analyze his blood?" Clark asked as he felt some of his strength returning.

"Not long, maybe three or four days at the most. Fox is making it his first priority."

"Tell me why you are so willing to help us." Clark knew he shouldn't ask but he had to know.

Bruce looked at his friend and any other time he would have sent him away but given what the man was going through he answered him honestly. "Because the world needs Superman and if your son dies it will destroy you. My parents dying made me into what I am and as much as I don't agree with how you handle your foes, your way teaches better than my own."

When he was ready, Bruce walked him to the door and once he was outside, back in his suit, Clark had to use most of his strength to shoot up above the earth where the direct light of the sun fed him the healing energy he needed to go back to Lois and his son.

* * *

Laughter coming from Jason's hospital room made Lois and Clark walk faster and when they arrived inside they found their son getting his face painted by a clown. It was getting late but seeing Jason happy was enough to make it worth while.

"Mommy," Jason rasped as Lois came to his side seeing that the Clown was Sarah.

"He needed some cheering up," Sarah said as she finished painting Jason's nose red. She finished up and bid them goodnight before she left the room.

"I look silly," Jason said as he coughed squeezing his eyes shut in order not to cry. He didn't want to do that even though it hurt something awful.

"You do look silly Munchkin," Lois agreed as she kissed his cheek. He was very warm and she resisted the urge to frown.

For a while longer Jason was able to keep his clown face on but then it was time for bed and he protested a little until his daddy lifted him out of bed and sat down in the rocking chair. It felt good to have his face wiped with the wash cloth his mom was using and after she finished Jason looked up at his daddy. "Why did you and mommy go away?"

Lois listened from the bathroom as she rinsed out the wash cloth, while Clark told him how they needed to go check on the house and get clean cloths. She was relieved to find out that no one had come to poke and prod Jason and that he had a good time with his Granny who had already left for the night. Once she finished with the washcloth, Lois walked out of the bathroom and over to her son and Clark. They both helped him brush his teeth before Clark held him while reading to him. One of the nurses came in and checked on the chest tubes but Jason didn't cry this time, and by the time she was finished he was almost asleep.

Shutting the book he was reading to his son, Clark gently rocked Jason thinking about what he had gone through this evening. In the back of his mind he was wondering if somehow Kryptonite wasn't the cause of all of this with Jason but it couldn't be possible. Their son had only been exposed to it one time. Once Jason was asleep Clark put him back in bed and walked over to the sofa where Lois was typing. He sat down beside her and watched as she hit save and shut down her laptop.

"Where did you go this evening?" She watched as he looked away from her and when he looked at her again she saw hope in his eyes.

"I took a sample of blood to Bruce Wayne, and I gave him a sample of my own. He has a person on his staff who can be trusted with the secret who will be able to hopefully find the cause to all of this." Voicing that to Lois made him realize what had driven him to see Bruce in the first place. "I think all of this has something to do with Lex Luthor."

Hearing that made her shutter. "How?" As soon as she asked it, she remembered when Jason had gone missing for five hours. "Oh god," she said as she put her hand over her mouth. When he reached for her she went into his arms shaking her head. "Jason's just a baby."

"But to Lex he is a threat," Clark answered. Suddenly Lois pulled away from him and stood up.

"I did this Clark. I went to the yacht that day and I knew who was in there and I went anyway taking our son with me. If I find Luthor I'll kill him," she seethed a moment before she sank to the floor and sobbed. Again he was there and Lois pushed him away but he wouldn't allow her to beat herself up. "I want to see him dead," she said through her tears.

As Superman he couldn't kill Lex even though he was angry enough to make the man hurt. "Lois I'm sorry I told you all of this, I might be wrong," he said though in his gut he knew he was not. He helped her to her feet and again back in his arms holding her as she sobbed softly against his shoulder.

* * *

After three days of analyzing the two blood samples in his private lab at Wayne Enterprises, Fox saw what any doctor who didn't know the genetic makeup of a Kryptonian being could not see. He finished his notes and made a call to the Manor, getting Bruce on the line. "I have the results to the blood analysis but I need to be able to show you as well as to tell you."

On his end Bruce heard the urgency in Fox's voice. He had checked in with Clark yesterday finding that the little boy had suffered another high fever causing him to seize again, and that he not only had fluid in his lungs but that he had a bladder infection and an ear infection. "I have no plans for the day," he offered and once he hung up with Fox he got out of bed and got dressed.

A half hour later Bruce was looking into a microscope at the blood sample they had taken of Superman. He had already given a sample of his own blood and could see the huge difference between human cells verses Kryptonian.

"Those angular cells are what make him unique. It is far more complex but that is what you will see very little of in this next sample." Fox took the slide of Superman's blood and slid in another urging Bruce to have a look. "What you don't see are Jason's Kryptonian cells."

"What are those luminescent cells, no, they are moving."

"That is a virus, the one that is killing him. I have been able to immobilize a small sample and it is a highly developed virus programmed to attack Jason's Kryptonian cells. It is also laced with Kryptonite which is why his body was unable to fight it off."

Bruce looked over at Fox in a state of shock. He had been around the world and seen all sorts of atrocities but this one seemed to top them all. "My God, Luthor did this," he said. "Is there a way the boy can be helped?"

Fox had gone back to making more notes and stopped, looking at young Mr. Wayne. "Jason needs direct exposure to the suns light. What cells he has left will be able to fight off the Virus, but I'm afraid at this point without his ability to generate any new cells his body will not be able to fight off infections. This virus acts as a cancer, and the exposure to the sun will act as a radiation treatment to knock it out. Once that is achieved he will be in a sort of remission, though in his case exposure to even a slight cold could take his life.

Learning that the first step was up to The Man of Steel, Bruce left Fox to keep researching a cure and when he found Alfred he had him prepare two rooms in the west wing.

* * *

Something cool on his lips woke Jason and when he opened his eyes he saw his mother's worried look. His breathing was labored but he was in very little pain due to the pain killer being delivered to his body. He wanted to stay awake but he was so tired and without the energy to fight, Jason went back to sleep.

Three weeks had gone by and no one could tell them why their baby was so sick. The chest tube inserted in his right side had grown infected again and every three hours they came to clean the area. Jason was so exhausted that he didn't fight them, but he did cry and each time Lois felt her heart breaking. Martha and Ben as well as her parents and sister had been by on shifts to help out, allowing her and Clark to eat in the cafeteria. Lois had listened to Martha, and as hard as it was not to be with Jason even for an hour she realized that she and Clark had to have that time. Clark was still doing what needed to be done as Superman but only on the most dire of emergencies. He was away now and Lois was alone with her little boy.

As she sat back down in the rocking chair holding Jason's hand there was a knock at the door a moment before it opened. Bruce Wayne stepped inside and Lois stood up remembering when Clark had asked him for help. She was good at reading people and the expression on his face told her that what he had to say was not good news.

Bruce looked over at the little boy hearing his labored breathing and seeing his parched dry cracked lips. It was evident that Lois was alone, and Bruce was not willing to tell her about Jason until Clark returned. "How is he doing?" he asked.

"Not well, what have you found?" Lois wasn't ready to humor him with small talk. He knew something and she wanted an answer.

"Miss Lane," Bruce began.

"Call me Lois," she said as she walked over to him.

He saw the urgency in her eyes and led her over to the sofa. "Lucius, Fox knows why Jason has gotten this sick, but what I'm going to tell you won't be easy to hear," he tried but she cut him off.

"Easy? Easy?" she questioned as she almost laughed at him. "I'll tell you what has not been easy, sitting in this hospital room while my baby lies in that bed fighting for his life. They come in every half hour to check his temperature. The veins in his hands and wrists keep collapsing so they had to insure the IV into a vein in his arm. Every three hours they come in to change the dressing on the incisions they cut in his chest to drain out the infection. Jason doesn't have the strength to fight it so he cries and most of the time Clark and I can't calm him down so he cries himself to sleep. As you can understand none of it is easy and I want to know why they can't figure out what to do that will help him."

Bruce stood in front of her as she crumbled to the floor and was about to go to her when Clark arrived. The two men locked eyes and Bruce left the room to give him a chance to calm her down. As nurses and other people passed him by they stared though none of them came to talk to him and he was grateful. Not long after he left two nurses went into the boy's room and Bruce stood next to the door hearing the little boy cry. He knew they had a lot to contend with but he also knew that Jason Kent didn't have any time to wait. During his wait a nurse brought him a chair and Bruce sat down contemplating his own life. He did not regret how he was living it even though it was a lonely existence. Alfred was there, but it wasn't like what Clark had, and then there were the dangers. After nearly an hour Clark opened the door and motioned for Bruce to go in.

As soon as he entered the room, Lois stood up and apologized to him. "I'm so sorry; I'm just at my wits end here."

"You don't have anything to be sorry for Lois," he said as the two of them sat down on the sofa. He pulled a chair up across from them not sure how to tell them this. "Fox analyzed your blood Clark and then Jason's. Less than fifty percent of the cells in your son's body are of your makeup." Bruce waited for both of them to understand this and when they seemed to grasp it he continued. "Jason should have more than half of your make up. Some of his cells human and some like yours, while most of them would be a pairing of both." Fox had called him back finding only one or two percent of the cells that were a mix of human and Kryptonian make up. "Those cells, a combination of both as I said are linked to his immune system. A virus has been introduced into his body, one laced with Kryptonite." He stopped as Clark stood up and began to pace. Lois's face paled and Clark went back to sitting at her side holding her so Bruce continued.

Hearing Bruce's explanation made him want to kill Lex Luthor but all thoughts of that drained when Bruce told him that the only way to kill the virus was to get Jason into direct sun light. "I can't," he said almost unable to speak. "His skin won't withstand that kind of direct light."

"It will once we apply the lotion Fox is working on. We need to move him to my Manor, and there is more you two need to hear."

Lois wasn't sure she could hear the rest but Clark held her close and she listened as Bruce told them how this virus acted as a cancer, and that even when it was wiped out Jason would not live without the cells that had been destroyed. Once he said that Lois got up and left the room. She felt sick inside and she knew that she needed to be with her baby but she felt like she was suffocating. Without thought she found herself outside of the Hospital on the sidewalk and what she wanted now was a cigarette. Lois heard him say her name and couldn't look at Clark as her hands trembled at her sides.

What Bruce told them was heart wrenching, but the fact that Fox was trying to find a cure or solution gave him a small amount of hope. "Lois," he tried but she shook her head.

"I can't do this Clark, I cant. Luthor wants him dead and has helped him onto that path all because of his hate for you," she said as the tears streamed down her face. Slowly she turned around to face him. "If Jason gets better or even if he does not I can't do this Clark. You were right it is too dangerous for us for me and Jason to be with you, and I'm sorry I am so sorry." Lois pushed past him back into the hospital.

His breath was driven from him and he felt like he was being punched and kicked as he had been on Lex Luthor's Island, only ten times worse. His hearing picked up Bruce's approach long before he arrived by his side. "I'm loosing both of them, and when I find Lex Luthor I will kill him," Clark said as he looked up at Bruce.

Lois had arrived in the room crying and Bruce left upon her request. Seeing the most powerful man in the world this angry was in one word frightening. "What about your teaching, what your father taught you what you have always said about violence, is it that easy to give up on something you have believed all of your life?"

Somewhere in the more rational part of his mind Clark knew that Bruce was right but the hurt and anger he felt was winning. "I don't know what to believe."

In a flash of color Clark Kent was Superman and by God's grace no one had seen him change or shoot up into the air. Though he didn't want to be, Bruce was now a part of this. Having Superman give into darkness was not something that could happen and somehow Bruce would have to make him realize that. As he walked back into the hospital he realized now that Lois was a part of him now, too. She somehow steadied him and without her in his life Superman would likely die because of some careless act.

* * *

**AN:** _I'm on a role here. For all you hard core comic book fans I'm well aware of the difference of oppinion that Bruce and Clark have on how to treat the common criminal. I'm also aware that Bruce would likely not help Clark unless he found it was to his own good, so I'm hoping this works out, and I hope you guys will give me that liberty. As always thanks to those who read this story and to those who review. Reviews help me stay focused so please don't be shy. Thanks also to Beeto for keeping up and for the great beta reading. _

_Cheers_

_Eviefan_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14: An impossible Cure**

While her son slept, peacefully now that no one was there to poke and prod at him, Lois sat in the rocking chair to the left of his bed chewing on her finger nails. Her heart ached for him, and for what she had said to Clark earlier. If she was truthful with herself she had known that being with Clark would not always be safe, but she had made up her mind a long time ago not to let that scare her. Now it did scare her and she knew they had to find some way to keep their little boy safe. Suddenly Jason's coughing drew her attention and Lois stood up as his tired eyes opened. They had finally given him some medication to help with the pain he felt when he coughed but it was making him sleepy and again Lois hated that. Her little boy should be running around causing ruckus, not sleeping so much. "Hi baby," Lois said as she leaned over the bedrail to kiss his fevered cheeks.

"I hurt," Jason rasped as another fit of coughing shook his small body.

All Lois could do was hold his hand and kiss his cheeks while fighting off the urge to break down and cry. Once the coughing had lessened Jason went back to sleep, and while still holding his hand Lois resumed sitting in the rocking chair wishing for all the world that this would just be over.

* * *

High above the earth, with his eyes closed, Superman listened to the noises coming from the planet below his red, booted feet. Her words had hurt him more than he would have thought possible, and while he knew that she likely hadn't meant them Superman was haunted by what she had said. Those words hurt so much because he sometimes thought that leaving her and ending his relationship was the right course of action, and he was finding that to be more difficult than he wanted to admit. His love for Lois was greater than anything he had ever felt before and he would do anything for her.

Again he thought about her words and knew that as much as he didn't want to admit it that perhaps she had a point. Then he thought of his commitment to Jason and what he had promised himself after watching Richard die. He had a commitment to his son and to Lois to keep them safe. Their involvement with one another couldn't be shut away and he couldn't run from what was happening any more than he could take a human life and snuff it out. Opening his eyes, Superman flew back into the earth's atmosphere

* * *

Bruce was seated just outside the room that Jason and Lois occupied, waiting and hoping that Clark would return. He had been prepared to leave but decided that someone needed to be there to keep them safe. He also wanted to make arrangements with both parents to move their son to his mansion so that Fox could begin to figure out a way to save the little boy. Two hours later, Bruce was beginning to wonder if his friend would ever return and as he was about to give up, the double doors to the Pediatrics ward opened and Clark arrived looking troubled and tired. "About time you got back," he said lightly.

The moment he neared the hospital, Clark had been aware that Bruce was there and couldn't help but to be grateful. "I can't leave them," he admitted as he arrived in front of his friend.

"You know that was her pain talking," Bruce said in a quiet whispered voice.

"It doesn't make it any easier," replied Clark and then shook his head. Bruce had once told him he was being careless, and until now Clark had never realized the truth. He knew his actions before he left for Krypton may have been slightly blinded by the love he felt for Lois but he also knew that he would not change what had happened even with his little boy so sick. "Thank you for looking after them."

"Someone had to." He was not willing to give Clark and easy time, though those words were said lightly. After giving the other man a pat on the shoulder he turned to leave and then turned back. "I'm in the process of making arrangements to move Jason to the house. While Fox can find the treatments Jason needs to help him get better we still need a nurse, someone you can trust with the secret," he relayed in a voice barely above a whisper knowing Clark could hear him.

"I know someone at Star Labs who can help us. Is there anything I can do to help prepare him for the move?"

"Just make sure you have someone there who can administer the medications he needs, I'll take care of the rest." Without another word Bruce headed for the elevators already thinking on who he wanted to use to transport the sick little boy with his parents to the airport where they would catch a flight to Gotham on one of his private jets.

* * *

A soft kiss on her left cheek roused Lois from her sleep and when she opened her eyes she found the man she loved kneeling before her. Clark looked tired, and without thought Lois leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry I said that," she whispered against his left cheek as she placed a kiss there. His arms around her tightened ever so slightly and she continued to hold him hating that she had caused him pain. "I'm afraid Clark and I've never been one to run. I won't run anymore. What I want to do now is to find Lex Luthor and see him put behind bars for the rest of his life." After almost two minutes of holding one another she eased her arms away from him and looked into his blue eyes.

"I want to find him too Lois but we need to be careful. There is no way of knowing how much of the secret he knows. He may know that I am Superman and if we confront him, well that could be an ugly mess to face."

Lois hadn't thought of that and hung her head. "Sometimes I wish someone would take a gun to his head," she admitted as she looked back at Clark seeing a pained look in his eyes. "What is it?"

"I haven't thought about a gun but there is a part of me that wants him to die. If I saw him right now I would have a very difficult time not ending his life for what he has done to our son."

Hearing the anger in his voice was frightening, and Lois was not afraid for either her or Jason but it was unusual to hear him and see him in this way. "What you were taught from your Kryptonian parents is the best way," she whispered very softly.

Clark's features softened as he noticed the worried look in her gaze and in a moment she was standing up held in his arms. "I won't do anything that drastic," he promised looking down at their sleeping son. Jason's breathing was still labored even with the chest tubes in place and an oxygen prong stuck in his nose. There was also a humidifier to the right of the bed giving off a fine mist which their son was breathing in. They stayed in that position for a few minutes before Clark led Lois over to the sofa. "You should rest," he said as they sat down.

When he put his arm around her shoulders, Lois leaned into his comforting embrace. "I know I should. God knows that I don't need to come down with something," she whispered right before she yawned.

"Tomorrow I need to go to Star labs. Bruce said we need a nurse for Jason and there are two people there who are aware of my secret," he whispered as he felt her steady breathing. He held her closer kissing the top of her head, hoping that she would be able to get some rest before the next round of poking and prodding began.

* * *

"No!" Protested Jason in a raspy whispered voice. The vein in his arm had collapsed and despite being so sick he had enough in him to try and fight off what Nurse Anna wanted to do.

Clark stood on one side of the bed and Lois on the other, both parents doing their best to comfort their little boy. "Jason they need a way to get the medicine into you," Clark said as his little boy began to cry. The crying turned to coughing and Jason gagged and at the same time had an asthma attack.

Both she and Clark moved out of the way as Dr. Higdon arrived and stood helplessly aside as they got his breathing under control and inserted an IV into the other arm. Once it was all over they were back at his side and Lois grabbed a tissue and dabbed the tears from her son's cheeks. "I'm so sorry Munchkin," Lois said as her baby continued to cry. She looked at Clark and a moment later with his help she climbed into bed beside her baby and held him while he began to calm down.

Not even a full two minutes later Jason had drifted off into a restless sleep. Clark stood at the left side of the bed watching both of them. He no more wanted to leave them than endure looking Lex Luthor in the face but he needed to head down to Star Labs and find out if Becky Kline still worked there. "Lois I need to go," he said quietly.

His voice brought her back from her thoughts and she managed to give him a small smile. "Don't be too long," she said as he came around to her side of the bed. They shared a deep kiss before he pulled away and in a moment she and Jason were the only two occupying the room. With her son asleep Lois slipped out of the bed and walked over to the sofa just underneath the window. She got out her cell phone and put a call into the office to give Perry an update.

* * *

Even though it was very late at night when Superman landed behind the main building at Star Labs, he knew that Becky Kline would be there. When he arrived around the front of the building the security guard let him in and paged Becky for him before he asked about what had happened with Lex Luthor and the Kryptonian Island which had been dubbed by the press as _New Krypton_. In Superman's eyes it was anything but that however he humored the man and told him how it had taken all of his strength to get it into space, without giving him too many details.

"Superman this is a surprise," Becky said as she entered the lobby. She could tell he needed to talk to her in private and led him back into the labs where her husband Bernard was working on some sort of laser system. After the two men greeted one another Superman got straight to the point telling them about his son and the illness he had contracted from a strain Luthor had developed.

"All of this has to remain confidential," Superman emphasized. When the two scientists agreed he told them about the first part of a cure. "After that they don't know what else they can do though it is being worked on at this very moment. The man who has been able to correctly diagnose Jason's illness is working on a more permanent solution but he needs someone who has been in the Nursing profession to assist should Jason need any sort of care that only a nurse can give him." As he waited for their answer he looked around the Lab. Not much had changed since the last time he was there. All of the tables and countertops were full of test tubes or microscopes and slides. Star Labs was one of the honest Labs run in Metropolis which was why Superman could trust at least these two.

"I can help you. I would assume you would need me to stay with you until Jason is well again," she said and saw Superman's head nod in confirmation. She turned to face her husband. "We have been apart before," she started to say, only Superman interrupted.

"I can bring you back and forth at night so that you won't have to stay away from him for such a long period of time but if we need you," he started to say before he faltered.

"I will be ready to help."

Once she said that he told her the plans thus far and after she was made aware of them he left to go back to Lois and his son. As he flew high above the city he listened for Lex's voice among the others that he heard but did not hear him. He was tired emotionally from all that was happening with Jason and all he wanted now was the man who was responsible for this to pay the price spending the rest of his life in a prison cell.

* * *

A few days later against the orders of his pediatrician, Lois and Clark signed Jason out of the hospital. Everything was ready for them and Becky had been by to give Jason an injection of medicine Fox had made up to try and bring down his fever by knocking out some of the infection in his lungs. He had been given the medicine through his IV early that morning and by the time they were ready to move him, his fever had dropped from 101.7 to 100.4. Jason was asleep now after getting some pain medication which would make his journey to Gotham city more tolerable.

While her son slept, Lois was busy gathering his things. Over his long stay in the hospital he had gotten everything from balloons to stuffed animals all of which he wasn't able to touch because of the fear he would get sick from them. Clark was taking them back to the house and if one day his body would heal then he would be able to see them again. As she finished packing Clark arrived with Becky, Anna and Sarah along with Dr. Higdon.

"I must implore you not to move him," said Dr. Higdon truly concerned for her young patient.

Clark looked at Lois and knew what she was thinking but it wasn't possible. After today she would no longer be able to care for him. All of his records would be removed from her office as well as the allergist he saw on occasion.

Putting down a stuffed brown bear she held in her left hand, Lois walked over to the woman who had taken such good care of her son. "I'm sorry but we want to take him home. We have a private nurse who will take care of him now," Lois said hating to lie to he woman.

The fear was evident in the young mother's eyes but there was something else there that Dr. Higdon could not place. "You are his parents. If you must move him then keep him covered well. It is raining outside so get him to a covered vehicle as fast as possible." She smiled at the young mother and then left hoping for the best and fearing the worst not knowing that there was a possibility that Jason would get better.

After she had gone Lois and Clark once again stood back as the nurses prepared Jason for his journey. Everything he was attached to was portable and the property of either Star Labs or something Bruce had purchased through his company. Lois looked at the man she loved and showed him what needed to be taken to the house, and while he gathered that up to take him she went with her son and the nurses making their way through the halls as other staff and patients watched them pass by.

* * *

Not long after dinner Jason Kent was settled in a double bed hooked up to everything that was needed to help him. He still had the chest tubes in his chest which had caused another strong objection from his doctor who told them that moving him with those in wasn't safe, but again they were the one's left with the decision in the end. The room he occupied was two times as big as his parent's room. There was a fire place across from his bed with a warm fire already burning generated by natural gas. To the left of his bed against the outer wall were shelves full of books, mostly leather first additions but along the bottom two shelves were children's stories, still first additions but ones Bruce had already said were ready for him when he was well enough to listen to a story. The outer wall also had a large bay window which would let in the sun's light; something Fox believed would help Jason heal along with his journey nearly above the earth's atmosphere he would take with his father once he was stable enough. The rest of the room was decorated with more books and some of the model planes Jason had in his old room. There was also an old desk for him to sit at and draw, along with art supplies.

"It was nice of Bruce to go through all of this trouble," Lois said as she and Clark sat on a sofa against the interior wall. They were waiting for Jason to awaken more fully so that they could try and get him to eat some of the broth Alfred had prepared for him. Fox told them the game plan right now was to get his strength up and to clear out most of the infection in his lungs so that the chest tubes could be removed before his flight with his father.

"I think he has a soft spot for him," Clark whispered and then looked over at Jason as he began to stir. Taking Lois's left hand in his right, Clark stood up with her and both of them approached the bed arriving as he opened his tired blue eyes. "Hey there buddy," Clark said as he leaned down and place a kiss on Jason's head.

For a moment Jason looked at them and then around at the room he was in. "Where are we?" Jason asked before he began to cough. Next to him his mommy got a glass of water and Jason sipped it through a straw. The cool water made his throat feel better.

"Do you remember Mr. Wayne?" Clark asked as Lois set the glass back down on the coaster. When Jason nodded his head Clark smiled at him. "He has a friend who is going to make you better, but in order to do that you have to stay here so they can take care of you."

Jason thought about that for a moment and then began to cough. His mommy helped him turn on his left side which helped the coughing go away a little. "That hurt," he whispered as he was propped up in the bed against two soft pillows.

"I'm sorry Munchkin," Lois said as she sat down on the edge of the mattress helping him drink more water. Once he had all he wanted she turned her head toward the door watching as Clark left assuming he was going to tell Alfred that Jason was ready for that soup.

"Mommy am I going to die and go live with my daddy?"

His question caught her off guard and with her head still turned toward the door Lois was able to take a few deep breaths and compose herself. "No baby you are just very sick, but you will get better soon," she said managing to keep her voice steady.

"I dreamed about him," Jason said through a yawn. He reached up his left hand, the one not attached to and IV and rubbed his tired eyes.

Lois leaned forward and kissed both of his cheeks. "What did you dream?" She managed to ask without breaking into tears.

"He misses us," Jason said as his eyes began to get heavy. Before he was able to fall asleep Clark arrived with the soup and they managed to get him to eat most of it before he was out. Once he was asleep Clark asked Alfred if he minded watching after Jason while he and Lois took a walk. The older gentleman agreed and despite her protests he led her out of the room and down a long winding hall to the stairs which led to the bottom level. Once they were outside and alone he felt her hold on his hand tighten and when he stopped and turned to face her she nearly fell into his arms. "Shh I have you," he said as she began to cry against his chest.

"I wasn't ready for him to ask me that," Lois managed as she still cried. Her greatest fear was that the virus would kill him, and if that happened… Lois shuttered not even wanting to consider what she and Clark would do if their little boy died.

Clark held on to her as long as she needed him too, both for her and for him. "He's been through so much," he said as Lois's cries lessened and finally subsided.

She heard the guilty tone of his voice and looked up at him. "Don't you dare do that. Even if Richard and I would have stayed together Lex would have known and he likely would have done this. You coming back to us was the right thing to do Clark Kent and don't ever think anything different even if I have another melt down." It was her turn to hold him, and as Lois rested her right cheek against his strong muscled chest she felt safe despite the dangers out there which seemed to lurk behind every dark corner.

Her arms around him were his life line, and Clark held on to her allowing her touch and only her touch to melt away the guilt and pain he had just felt. "We better get back to Jason," he finally said. Once she was ready he took her hand and led the way back up the few stairs they had gone down to the large house Bruce Wayne lived in.

* * *

A week and a half later Becky and Fox both agreed that Jason was well enough to have the chest tubes removed. He was able to sit all the way up in bed and was having more wakeful moments, though he still slept most of the day. He was no where near being a fully recovered, and only the sun's direct light would kill off what remained of the virus. Already the IV had been removed and Jason was relieved to have that gone.

"Will I have to get another one?" he asked as Becky began to remove the heart monitors.

"I don't know yet sweety, but I sure hope not." She had put a warm washcloth over the two monitors and removing them still hurt Jason but not as much as it would have had she not soaked them. Last night while he had been asleep Becky had taken the Catheter out waking him but only for a minute until he fell back asleep. Now as she prepared what she needed to get the chest tubes removed Jason leaned against his mother's right side as she read from one of the books Bruce had left for him. Her voice was lulling him to sleep though when Becky started to lift his shirt he opened his eyes wide.

"No, mommy don't let her do anything," Jason said as he began to breath heavy.

Quickly Lois set the book to her left side on the bed and held him close. "Shh, take in deep breaths baby." Jason did what she wanted him to do and in a moment his breathing was back to normal. His small body was straining against her, and she knew he was afraid. "Becky needs to take the chest tubes out," she tried but already he was shaking his head and began to cry.

"Leave them in," Jason cried as his daddy came into the room. "Daddy don't let her hurt me please don't."

As Clark approached his son's bed, Becky moved aside waiting to see if the two of them could calm him down. What was happening to this little boy was unforgivable and she hoped Clark as Superman would be able to find Lex Luthor and make him pay for everything.

Clark sat down on the edge of the bed and in a moment he held Jason cradled in his arms mindful of the tubes attached to the drainage back. "Your safe and mommy and I won't let anyone hurt you like this ever again, but Becky needs to remove those tubes so that you can go flying with me," Clark said as he gently rocked his little boy. Jason still had a fever and Clark hated that for him.

"Will you hold me very tight?" Jason asked as he looked up into his father's sure blue eyes.

"As tight as I can," Clark said, not really intending on doing that.

"Mommy sit beside me and daddy," Jason said and in a moment she was, holding his hand as he shut his eyes. Jason felt his shirt lifted and felt something cold wiped over the right side of his chest. He tried to take a deep breath and let it out and felt his mommy hold both of his hands. "Wait I'm not ready," he said and tried to move but his parents were holding him still.

* * *

Downstairs in what had once been an extra living room was now a lab where Fox was working on a permanent cure for Jason. What the boy needed were Kryptonian Human cells and for nearly two weeks he had been doing his best to get the few cells that they had extracted from a healthy blood sample to reproduce but so far he wasn't having any luck. He wrote down a few notes and shook his head.

"That bad?" Bruce asked as he entered the room.

Fox looked up at the young man who looked like his father. "These cells won't regenerate, and I'm not sure why. You told me once that the Kent's relayed a story about him being exposed to Kryptonite when Lois was taken by Lex Luthor, if this is true then it may have stunned them in some manor. The only way to help him is a transfer of healthy cells."

"By that I would assume he would need a donor." When Fox nodded his head Bruce was quickly realizing what his friend was getting at. "Is that even possible?"

"I don't know. In some cases with Leukemia patients, the donation from a sibling is the only way. Some rare cases families chose to have another child to save the one they already had and that may be the choice that they face now."

Bruce nodded his head and sat down across from Fox. "The records they gave to us say he was born 14 weeks premature. Is it even safe to suggest that considering what that kid has been through in his life?" He wasn't sure why he felt so strongly about helping them with this little boy but the innocence of a child had all but been taken away and while the circumstances were different from his own childhood, Jason's in a way mirrored his.

"There is no other way. If he get's sick again I may not be able to save him and the sooner the Kent's know this the sooner we find a way to save that child."

* * *

The lotion all on his face arms legs and hands was worse than the lotion he had to wear outside. It was very greasy and Jason wasn't very happy. His chest tubes were history but the wounds left still hurt him enough so that he had to take some pain medication which made him sleep. As his father lifted him off of the bed Jason fought to stay awake. He felt his mother's kiss and then rested his cheek against his father's chest. He kept his eyes shut even though he knew they were lifting into the air.

Suddenly it was very bright and for a moment he felt very warm like he did when he was outside on a warm summer's day. The warm feeling seemed to grow and soon he felt it inside his body. Suddenly it hurt and he struggled in his father's arms until her heard that strong sure voice and then he settled down. The hurting wasn't as bad as when they had taken out the chest tubes and soon it was replaced by the warm feeling. Jason felt extremely tired and was soon asleep in a very safe place.

* * *

Upon Clark's return with their son, Lois had what they needed to give Jason a sponge bath. Their little boy didn't move or make a sound as the lotion was wiped from his body and Lois was worried until Clark told her that he was in a healing sleep. She washed his hair and once he was a clean pair of pajamas they put him to bed.

Now seated on the sofa across from Jason's bed, Lois was settled against Clark. "Did any of that hurt him, the journey you made?"

"Some of it. When I go to the sun after I'm hurt I feel warm like I do on any summer day but then the warm is also inside of me. Where I got hurt usually burns for a time and then it is replace with healing warmth."

"Is that what it was like for you that day?"

Without her having to clarify anything, Clark knew what day she was referring to. "Yes, though they pain was greater than anything he would have gone through. While I was in the hospital I was away from the pain, which allowed my body to heal. His body should do the same though I'm not sure how much strength he will have when he wakes up. Clark looked at the door a moment before there was a knock.

Bruce entered with Alfred and asked the two of them if they minded a meeting with Fox. "Alfred will keep an eye on him," he assured. He led them down to the lab and once they were seated and he had a seat, Fox told them about his attempts at regenerating Jason's cells.

"You told Bruce about the time you were taken by Luthor and Jason's exposure to Kryptonite. It is my belief that while that may have brought about his powers, it also stunned the cells and that is why they won't regenerate." He waited allowing them to take all of that in.

Lois looked at Clark sadly and sighed. "What else can we do for him?"

"There is a possible solution but it won't be an easy choice. The problem is that we don't have the luxury of time." When they were ready he began. He told them about the research on Leukemia patents getting bone marrow from their siblings and in the rare cases where parents had another child to save the sick child. Before he could continue Lois was shaking her head so he waited.

The leather couch she was sitting on suddenly became uncomfortable and the room seemed to spin around once before she managed to find her voice. "No," she said shaking her head. "I love my son but I can't do that, I just can't do that," she said. She began to shake even when Clark put her arms around her.

"Miss Lane," Fox said as he stepped around his desk and walked over to her. "There is no other way to save your son. If he falls ill again I might not be able to save him. He has no immune system and without a cell transfer he will die." Realizing that they needed time to talk Fox and Bruce left the room and he hoped that they would be able to face this decision in order to save their little boy.

* * *

**AN:** _Well this chapter was not easy to write and I hope you guys still like where I'm headed with this. I promise Lex will have a bigger part but I'm setting up for that and hopefully you won't be dissapointed. In the mean time review and let me know what you think and hopefully they are all good thoughts... Thanks as always goes out to Beeto for the supurb Beta reading and the prompt responce. Hopefully the next chapter won't take me as long._


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15: Some Convincing**

A warm breeze blew against his face as he passed over Metropolis. Clark had not wanted to leave Lois and Jason behind but he could no longer keep avoiding his duties as Superman. The world still needed him, though it seemed everyone was getting used to less frequent visits. While flying, he thought of Lex Luthor and wondered what sort of evil the man was up to. It was unlike him not to cause some sort of trouble and from what Lois had told him he had somehow managed to afford that yacht and a huge house which he had seen himself. Superman hovered over the east pier hearing young voices, and the conversation he heard sent him toward those voices.

Malinda giggled as her boyfriend tried to walk in a straight line. The two teenagers had been drinking and had come down to the pier to hang out. "Bobby you're going to fall on your ass," she said as she continued to giggle.

"Will you kiss it if I do?" he asked as he let out a loud belch.

Malinda was about to answer when she saw something wash up on the shoreline just a few feet away. "What is that?" she asked as she stood up, or tried but landed hard back down on the bench on which she had been seated.

It wasn't easy but Bobby managed to turn around and walked over to the water. "That's a dead man," he said. As he turned back around he nearly fell in the water but someone steadied him and when Bobby was finally able to focus his gaze he said, "I must be drunker than I thought."

"Easy there," Superman said as he led the young man over to his date. He helped him sit down. "What are your names?"

"We hav…hav… haven't broken laws," Bobby sputtered as Malinda shook her head feeling slightly embarrassed.

"Shut up Bobby. Superman is that really a body?" When he nodded his head Malinda turned her head to the side and proceeded to lose the pizza dinner the two had before they came out here and got so drunk.

It was obvious that he needed to get them home and after the girl had recovered Superman managed to get her to tell him where both of them lived. He offered to fly them home but Malinda was worried about getting sick again so he helped them find a taxi. Once they were inside Superman gave the driver instructions and the man left. He was able to get a closer look at the body once the two teenagers were gone, but there wasn't much to see. The body was bloated and already beginning to decompose and even with X-ray vision he was unable to tell how the man had died. Superman flew a few blocks away and found a police officer at a near by park leading him there. Once he was sure that a forensic team would be called in he left to fly home to Lois and Jason.

* * *

Even though Lois had managed to get some sleep, she was now awake resting beside her son. Jason had not woken up yet, and his body was healing slowly. He no longer needed the oxygen prong, thought Becky said when he was ready they should start using the nebulizer. What she was told earlier in the evening still haunted her. Lois loved being a mother to Jason. He was a beautiful little boy, but having another child simply because Jason was so sick seemed heartless. She wondered how they could have a child that she didn't want to have just to save Jason. She also knew that she really didn't have a choice because letting Jason die from this was not something she was prepared to let happen. "Clark please come home soon," she whispered as she reached out and stroked her hand over Jason's left cheek. As she shut her eyes she felt a warm breeze blow through the window and when she opened them the man she loved was walking toward her. "Did you hear me?"

Superman walked over to the bed Lois and Jason were resting on and knelt down. "I was on my way back," he replied as he sat down on the edge of the mattress. "How are you feeling?"

"Terrified, sickened, angry. There are so many feelings. I know we have to save Jason but there has to be another way, Clark. I don't think I could love another baby."

Hearing her say that broke his heart, but he knew from what she had told him in the past that Jason's birth had been really hard on her. "Lois I won't leave you. I will be here this time no matter what happens." As he said that he saw tears glistening in her eyes and reached down gently sitting her up before turned slightly to the left to gather her in his arms.

"How do we validate having a baby to save him? I wouldn't even be thinking about having a child if there wasn't a cure in it for Jason and how morally right is that?" Lois asked

"It is not an easy decision, Lois, but we have to do this if our son is going to be well again someday. I guess it is a bit selfish of me but I want us to have another child. I left before I knew about Jason and I should never have done that. For me to be able to be a father again and this time be a part of it all would be," he said not sure how to put it into words.

Hearing the tone of his voice as he spoke about this made Lois realize how one sided she was being. Yes she was still put off that he had gone away when she needed him, but something she hadn't thought of until this very moment was his feelings on the matter. She lifted her head away from his chest and looked into his blue ones seeing the urgency in them for something he seemed to need. "I don't know how to do this," she admitted.

"Lois you are the bravest woman I know, and you have never backed down from anything. I can't know how hard it was when Jason came so early but right now we have to set aside the things we fear the most to give him a chance, and can you really tell me that you won't love a child that we make?"

For a moment Lois looked away from him looking behind her at Jason who still slept without knowing what they were talking about. She remembered the first time she held him in her arms, how tiny he was and how much she loved him even though she had been saddened by what his father had done to them. Deep down in her heart she knew she would love any child she had with Clark, but her fears kept that pushed down. "Is it even possible for us to have a child? The last time you were mortal," she reminded as she leaned her cheek against his chest.

"We won't know until we try," whispered Superman as he reached up and ran his hand through her long auburn hair. He held her for a few minutes longer and then stood up. In a flash of color he changed from his suit into a pair of boxers and nothing more. Both of them agreed that for now they would sleep with Jason and once he was changed he went to the other side of the bed and settled in for the night. It had been his intention to tell her about the body he had found but tonight was not the time to do that.

* * *

The warmth of the sun shining on his face and the bright light pulled Jason from his healing sleep. As he began to come around the little boy noticed that not as much hurt anymore. He tried opening his eyes but they wouldn't cooperate, and he tried moving his hand but that wouldn't work either. Again Jason focused on opening his eyes and slowly he was able to do that and saw his mommy's face. Jason was able to smile a little. "May I have a burrito?"

His voice was scratchy and barely above a whisper but Lois heard what he said and nearly laughed out of joy. "I think for right now we should stick to soup," she said as she sat down on the edge of the mattress. She kissed his head and was relieved that there was no longer any fever to warm his skin. Fox said that the strain was completely gone, and that in a month or so he would be able to do what he liked with limits. They would have to be very careful about who was allowed around him, until a cell transfer could be made though all of that was still up in the air. She had taken her last birth control pill four nights ago and even though it would likely take a month to get that out of her system they were already trying for another child.

"Mommy," Jason said before he began to cough.

Lois came out of her thoughts and got a glass of water. She held that in her left hand and slid her right hand under his head helping him sit up so he could take a few sips. "What baby?" Lois asked as she settled him back against the soft pillow.

"You got quiet."

A smile crossed her lips as she leaned down to kiss his cheeks. Lois knew she needed to tell Clark he was up, but figured he would hear them and be there soon. "You're right munchkin I did get quiet. I have some things I need to think about."

Jason tilted his head as he yawned and pulled his hand from out of the covers rubbing his eyes before he asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Before she could answer the door to the large room opened and Clark entered followed by Becky and Fox. Lois was relieved for the distraction and wasn't sure what she would have told him.

"Daddy I'm hungry," Jason said as his father knelt down by the bed and held him close for a moment.

"Alfred is already making you something to eat," reassured Clark as he stood up and moved slightly away so that Becky could get a look at him.

Suddenly Jason became frightened and managed to get the covers over his head. At the same time his breathing became labored, and Becky moved letting Lois sit next to him watching as she reassured him that they were not going to stick him with anything. Jason did have a feeding tube in his stomach which she would take out but not at the moment.

"Are you sure she won't stick me?" Asked Jason doubtful of that.

"I'm very sure munchkin."

When he was ready Lois moved and Becky was able to listen to his heart beat take his temperature and monitor his blood pressure. When she finished with that she asked him how he felt.

"My belly has itching on it," he said. He watched as Becky looked at his mom and realized something was up. "You said I won't get stuck anymore." He started to cry and hit her hands away when she tried to sooth him.

"Jason I told you the truth, but you do have something in your belly to help you eat. When you were asleep you couldn't so Becky needed to put that in," Lois tried, but he kept on crying and even pushed his father away. He was not aware when Becky and Fox left the room and cried himself back to sleep.

Once he was resting Lois walked over to the bay windows and looked out over the wide open land. There were no busy cars going by and no one playing loud music. All that was there was land and it was almost comforting. When she felt Clark's hand on her shoulder she was about to push him away but forced herself to remain calm. "I can't stand this anymore," she finally said as she turned around to face him. "I need to work Clark, but I guess I can't. Any germ I come in contact with could get him sick again."

"We could get a computer from the office and you could work from here," he tried, but already she was shaking her head.

"There has to be some way for me to work there. I know that sounds selfish but I just need to get away. You get that chance when you fly off to save someone but I'm here with him all day and night." She wasn't angry with him, but was merely presenting the facts to him.

Her words stung even though they were not meant to. If the world didn't need Superman then he would stay home with his family. He would work at the planet, but he wouldn't be pulled away at night and suddenly he wondered how it would be when and if they had another child. "We could talk to Fox," Clark said as she turned back to face the outside.

"They do seem to figure out ways around things," admitted Lois as she felt both of his arms wrap around her. It was settled, and after Becky came back to remove the feeding tube, Lois would talk to Fox and ask him how she could work and still be with her son.

* * *

By dinner Jason's feeding tube was gone and nothing else remained in his body. He ate in his bed with both of his parents, still feeling tired but happy now that he was assured that nothing else would be poked into his body. After they ate his daddy carried him to his own bathroom and Jason was excited because the tub was sunken into the ground. "May I play?" he asked through a yawn as he let his daddy help him out of his pajamas.

Since he had just gotten his feeding tube removed from his stomach they both knew he couldn't do that. "Not this time pal," Clark said as Lois began to run the water into the tub. While she did that, Clark held Jason close when someone knocked at the door. Jason hid in his arms as Lois went to see who it was.

Alfred greeted Lois when the door was opened. "Master Bruce thought he might like these," said the older gentleman, holding two plastic ships and a sea plane in his hands.

Bruce's kindness had surprised both of them. He had only been to see Jason a few times and Lois was hoping now that their son was more wakeful he could be properly introduced. "Will you thank him for me?"

"I would be delighted too. I have already put a fresh set of sheets on Jason's bed and I have also prepared the room across the hall from his should you or Mr. Kent need time to yourselves."

After thanking him again, Lois shut the door and walked over to the tub where Jason was sitting on the top step. "Look what Mr. Wayne sent for your bath."

As soon as he saw what his mom had, Jason came out of his sadness and while he got his sponge bath he pushed the toys around in the water close to him. By the time he was all washed Jason was sleepy and as his daddy helped him to his feet he felt wobbly.

Lois saw Jason's legs shaking and quickly wrapped a towel around him easily lifting him into her arms. "Did you enjoy playing with your new toys?" Lois asked as she and Clark walked into the bedroom.

"They were nice." A yawn escaped his mouth as his mommy dried him off and Jason was more than happy to let her get him dressed for bed. When he was ready he let his daddy take him back to the bathroom and opted to sit on the toilet while he went. "I don't like being tired all the time," Jason said as he finished.

With Jason so sleepy, Clark held on to him as he did his business. "I know you don't but you should start feeling much better very soon," he replied. When Jason was done he helped his son brush his teeth and then carried him to his bed. It seemed as soon as Jason was settled beneath the clean sheets he went right to sleep and both parents left his room heading for their own.

* * *

The next morning after she and Clark had breakfast in Jason's room, Lois left him with Clark and went down stairs to the lab. Fox was there and she asked him what she needed to know. "I want to be able to work, but only if there is a way Jason won't get sick.

Fox knew how he felt about what he did. He was in charge of Wayne industries, but with technology being what it was he was able to do most of his work from his lab. "There are not any guarantees that any of us won't get him sick no matter how careful we are. The best way to safe guard him is not to work. If you really want to then you have to be prepared to take a hot shower when you arrive here and change into clean cloths each night. Again he could still become ill but that should safeguard him."

As Lois headed back upstairs, after talking to Fox, she thought over what he had said and wasn't so sure. If he was to become sick again because of her she would never forgive herself.

* * *

Not long after Lois had gone and while Clark was reading to Jason, someone knocked at his door, and when Clark answered it Bruce was there wanting to see Jason. Not long after he arrived, Clark heard someone in need and had to leave the two of them. Now Bruce sat on the edge of Jason's bed showing him a collection of model soldiers from the civil war era. Each soldier was hand cast out of porcelain and hand painted down to the small buttons on their coats.

"They have guns, my mommy doesn't like those," Jason said even though he was enthralled with what he was seeing.

Bruce stifled the urge to chuckle. "Gun's can be very dangerous but these guns are just part of the models." He was relieved to see the little guy feeling better, and again he wasn't sure exactly why he felt so compelled to help this family.

"Mr. Wayne, why does Alfred call you Master Bruce?"

This time Bruce did chuckle a little. "Alfred is from Britain and over there when someone works for a family they call them by the proper name, which in my case is Master Bruce."

Jason thought about that for a brief moment. "Does he have to call you that?"

"No but he does so out of respect, like you. You call me Mr. Wayne instead of my first name."

Jason was starting to understand and was ready to ask more questions when the door opened and his mommy entered the room. "Mommy, Mr. Wayne let me see his soldiers."

As Lois approached the bed Bruce stood up. "I hope you don't mind," he said wondering if he should have asked her. Clark told him that it wouldn't be a problem, but now he wasn't so sure.

Seeing those reminded her of her father and his days when she was a child though Lois held back her distaste. "Those are very fancy," she replied as she held one in her hands. "I don't mind, he needed a bit of a change." After Bruce had gathered them up, putting them in a case, she handed him the last one and thanked him for staying with Jason.

"It was not a problem." He turned around and left heading to the east wing, where his room was, to get some sleep before his night on the town as Batman.

After he had gone, Lois settled into bed with her son and picked up where Clark had left off in the story about The Elephant's Child. Jason fell asleep before she finished two pages and once he was down she walked over to the window and again looked out over the land.

Lois had begun to wonder if this is what they needed, and then she knew neither of them could afford a place this grand, but still someplace secluded enough where Clark could come and go without anyone noticing. It was risky where they lived now even with the high walls and the trees to block him. She looked to they sky and saw Superman descending. Quickly she opened the window and stepped back as he floated through. As soon as his feet touched the ground she was in his arms and before she could think his lips were on hers. This kiss was a tender kiss and after a moment they broke apart still holding one another.

"Why don't you and I go to our room," he said.

As she looked up she saw the longing in his eyes and with Jason asleep for at least a few hours they had some time to spend alone. "And what should we do once we get there?" Lois asked as he took her hand. Both of them watched Jason a moment and then walked out of the room.

Even though he knew how afraid Lois was of having a baby, both of them were enjoying practicing, and when they got to their room, instead of answering her, Superman shut the door with his booted foot before he reached out and snagged her from behind.

As soon as her back was pressed against the firm expanse of his chest, Lois could feel his desire pressed against the small of her back.

His hands were already working on the buttons of her blouse, and when Lois reached behind him rubbing her hand over the bulge in his suit he gasped at the sensation that created. When he flew home from half way around the world he hadn't been thinking of this, but after they kissed his desire for her was all he could think about.

Once he had her shirt off and bra, Lois turned in his arms and rubbed against him loving the way the spandex felt against her bare breasts. Her own breathing was starting to quicken and without thought she reached up and unfastened the front of his suit pulling it away from him. Lois found his gaze as she rubbed her hands up the muscled plains of his chest, and noticed how dark the color of his eyes had become, like the color of the sea before a storm. Lois ran her left hand up the right side of his chest and placed it around the back of his head pulling him forward. This time with no little boy beside them, they shared a deep, passionate, searching kiss. His taste was intoxicating and Lois wrapped both her arms around his neck as she felt him lift her up. A second later she felt her back pressed against the wall and a moment later her body was pinned between him and the wall. While her hand reached down to wrap around his thick throbbing flesh, his hand was working on getting her underpants down and her skirt up. They broke the kiss momentarily and when they were ready Lois guided him into her soft yielding flesh.

* * *

"Hi Granny," Jason said holding the phone in his hands. Today his mommy had gone to work, and after his daddy got back from taking her there they called his Granny who was taking care of Lucky and his house.

"Well hello Jason it is so wonderful to hear your voice. How are you feeling?"

"Good. We are at a very big house Granny, but daddy says we can't stay because he doesn't want the bad man to hurt anyone else. The bad man made me really sick but daddy said he and Mr. Wayne are going to get him."

Clark had known that Jason wouldn't be able to keep much of a secret and over the past few days, with Bruce's help, he had changed the number at the house and some of Bruce's people had run a secure line which would throw off anyone wanting to spy in. There had been secure lines as Wayne Manor long before the Kent's came to stay.

Martha listened as her grandson told her all about the house. She was aware that Clark and Lois were being helped by Bruce Wayne and had asked Clark how that was, because she knew they didn't see eye to eye. He told her he wasn't quite sure why Bruce was doing all of this but both of them agreed that they should just accept it and go on.

"Granny if I get all better you and pappa can come and visit me maybe." Jason missed them and his doggy.

"I would love to, but we'll have to see what happens." She heard him sniff and frowned. "I love you Jason, would you like to talk to Pappa?" When Clark answered the phone she felt bad about making Jason sad.

"It isn't your fault, Mom. He wants to come home, but he can't." Jason was against his right shoulder softly crying so Clark ended the conversation. "Why don't we go for a walk outside," he tried but Jason held on to him still crying. Clark leaned back against the pillows bringing Jason to rest against his chest. He rubbed his hand over his back and after a few minutes his son went to sleep. As his son slept against his chest Clark thought about all that had transpired. He wasn't sure what would happen with Lex but the one thing he was certain of was that Lex Luthor would be made to pay for this outrage, and that he would never allow any harm to come to his family again. That brought him to where they were living now. Lois had mentioned wanting to find a place like this with wide open land and a house they could afford. Clark knew they should plan for that but right now the most important thing was the possible pregnancy and keeping Jason well. As he drifted to sleep Clark hoped that Lois's day at work was going well and focused his hearing on her smiling as her heard her arguing with Perry.

* * *

**AN:** _The part with Jason talking to Bruce humored my muse so I wrote it. I don't know if I did Bruce any liberty by his responces but I hope you enjoyed reading that and the rest of it. You know the routine. Please review after you read. THanks as always. Thankyou once again to Beeto for the fine beta reading. Enjoy._


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16: Investigative Reporter and More**

Being back at work among all the noise and clutter of a busy successful paper was almost, for lack of a better word, liberating. Lois loved her son and was worried to death about him, but those last few days before she came back she felt like she was suffocating. Seated at her desk she was looking through emails while waiting on the phone for Officer Martinez who had left her a message dating back to nearly a week ago. Finally he picked up and momentarily Lois focused her attention on what he was telling her while jotting down some notes in her small personal notebook.

In his office behind where all of his employees worked, Perry was watching one person in particular with a smile on his face. He had told both Lois and Clark to take as much time off as they needed for Jason, but had to admit to himself that it was good to have at least one of them back on the beat. Lois had already been in telling him that Jason was doing a little better but was not forthcoming about where the boy was. That really didn't matter much to Perry so long as his young nephew was able to recover.

Back at her desk Lois finished her conversation with Officer Martinez and after grabbing up her coat and purse along with her note pad, she headed for the elevators ready to meet the officer down at the morgue to view the body. As she pushed through the doors she ran into Jimmy who asked to go with her and she readily agreed. Viewing dead bodies was not something she really liked, but she knew that there was a story there or might be because this was the third body that they had found in the water.

* * *

Metropolis Morgue was located in the basement of Metropolis General Hospital, and after Lois and Jimmy found Officer Martinez the three of them headed down to the basement. In the elevator Officer Martinez told Lois about the bodies. "The oldest one is hardly worth looking at, and they were not able to find out exactly how the man expired. Oh that is the other interesting bit of information; all of the victims are male of various ages." By then they had arrived at the morgue and after Officer Martinez showed his badge the three of them were let in.

As they got closer to the three tables with covered bodies on them, Lois noticed that Jimmy was starting to look almost green. "Why don't you wait by the door," she suggested almost laughing at how fast he retreated away from the bodies. As she thought about having to see dead bodies, Lois felt her stomach turn over, but she knew she needed to see them and if it was possible, try to piece together any link to the men.

The first body they came to was the oldest body. There wasn't much left other than the skeleton but the mortician pointed out the bullet hole to the head and the lacerations on the ankle bones as if the man had been chained to something heavy when he was thrown into the water. The next body was in a little better condition and again there was a bullet hole to the head as well as lacerations on the ankles. Nothing else was amiss so they moved to the last body, one that had been in the river for perhaps a month or a little more. Looking at that body did make Lois feel like she was going to lose her breakfast but she held strong.

"This one has been just as hard to identify as the other two because his teeth have been pulled out and anything else that would make it easy to identify him is missing.

Lois saw what he was saying when she looked at the man's hand. The tips of all of his fingers had been cut off, and after a moment she asked to see the other men. Quickly she realized that they were missing the tips of their fingers and began to write that down. "Officer Martinez, can you show me where those bodies were found?" When he agreed to do that Lois felt alive and almost giddy at the prospect of figuring out where these bodies were coming from.

* * *

Duncan jumped when he heard his boss slam his fists down on the table in front of him and dared to glance up at Lex Luthor. The look in the other mans eyes were almost murderous and Duncan wondered if he was going to die today. He was well aware of how many men had died before him and had tried for the past few weeks to please his boss. He had been hired to work on a new strain that would attack Superman's immune system much like the boys, but so far that was proving to be very hard work.

"Did I ever tell you how I killed them?" Lex asked keeping his eyes focused on the young man standing on the other side of the table in his basement Lab. When Duncan shook his head Lex grinned at him. "The first six were shot by some of my associates right in the head. I wasn't so nice with the last two. Oh I shot them but you see after I shot them and we chained them to a chunk of very heavy material by their ankles we dropped them into the water off of the coast and they sank to the bottom drowning on the way down."

Hearing that made Duncan want to do better and he tried not to shake as his boss glared at him. "It shouldn't be too much longer," he said, trying not to sound so afraid.

"That will be good for you," Lex answered as he turned around and walked back up stairs. When he arrived in the large foyer, Lex walked down the hall and up another set of stairs to the second story of the house. At the top of the stairs he took a left passing by several very expensive paintings before he arrived at his private bedroom. Inside he made his way past some equipment and sat down at a desk pushed up against the outer wall. Living his life in isolation like this was making revenge upon Superman all that more sweet, and as he thought on that Lex Luthor smiled a genuine smile. Once The Man of Steel was gone there would be no one to stop him from doing what ever he liked and as he kicked his feet up on the desk and leaned back in his chair he thought that President Lex Luthor had a nice ring to it.

* * *

In the Parlor, one of the smaller rooms on the first level, Jason was seated in front of an antique chess board playing checkers with Alfred. The little boy was dressed in his favorite summer pajamas even though it was already close to lunch time. On the other side of the board Alfred waited for him to make a move. "Alfred?"

The little boy looked at him and Alfred offered him a warm friendly smile. "What is it Master Jason?" he asked.

"Why does Bruce get to know my daddy's secret? My friend Rebecca knew, but when my daddy found out about it he made her forget."

Alfred knew that Jason wanted an answer but it wasn't really his to give. "Your father and Master Bruce have known one another for a long time Jason," he said as the little boy continued to watch him.

"Alfred are you trying to teach our young guest to beat me at checkers?" Bruce asked coming in for the save. He had been passing by the parlor when he heard Jason's question and decided to come to the rescue.

Relief was the first thing Alfred felt as he stood up from where he had been sitting at the antique chess table, which they had converted into a checker table for Jason's sake. "Not at all Master Bruce," he said offering to go in and make lunch.

Jason sighed and looked down at his feet hating when the adults in his life tried to get out of answering his questions. He knew that it had just happened now and it made him feel lonelier. His dad had been gone most of the morning like his mommy and he missed his Granny and his own home.

The little boy seated a few feet away from him looked miserable and Bruce was aware that Jason missed his own home. Clark had talked to Fox about returning to their home, but right now with Jason still on the mend his staying in one place was safer for him. "Jason I heard what you asked Alfred," Bruce admitted as he walked over to the little boy and knelt down. He was aware that Jason knew about his father and also knew now that Jason had spilled the beans on that secret. Because of all that was happening in Jason's life, Bruce knew the kid was going to have to grow up faster than most kids his age and would likely need another adult who would understand him. As he knelt down in front of the chair Jason's eyes fell on his face. "I get to know about your father's secret Jason because I was able to figure that out."

"You were?" Jason asked amazed by that.

"Yes. It would be difficult for you to understand if I tried to explain it to you, but because I figured it out he doesn't have to hide his secret here."

Jason thought that over for a minute as he swung his legs. "Is that why you are helping me get better? I heard mommy tell Granny that the really bad man made me sick because he doesn't want me to get big like my daddy. Are you going to help my daddy find him?"

Bruce was taken aback by how smart this child was. Jason was only 5 years old and yet he had an understanding of things that he shouldn't at such a young tender age. "I am trying to help him find the bad man," Bruce said willing to use Jason's term for Lex Luthor. "But you see the bad man is very good at hiding."

A smile spread across Jason's face. "When I hide at Rebecca's I go into her closet. She has one that is really big and has all her toys in it and I hide there and she never finds me. Can we play hide and seek?"

Before Bruce could answer him another voice from behind them gave the answer. "Not right now, Alfred has lunch ready," Clark said as he entered the parlor. Clark knelt down as Jason ran to him and caught his son up in his arms, holding him close and monitoring his breathing momentarily before he stood up. By then Bruce had arrived by his side and both men gave a knowing look before Bruce left, likely for his room or the Bat Cave. Once he was gone, Clark headed toward the kitchen still holding Jason in his arms.

When the arrived, Clark put Jason down in one of the chairs surrounding the oak kitchen table which Alfred was putting food on. Once his son was seated Clark sat next to him thanking Alfred for making them lunch. He wasn't used to this sort of life style where someone made their food and even made their beds for them, and as much as he appreciated what Alfred did for them, Clark was ready to go home.

"Daddy, why don't you and Bruce like one another?"

His son asked him that right before he could take a bite of the BLT Alfred had made for him. Clark put the sandwich back down and looked at his little boy. "What makes you think that?" he asked.

"Because you always go away when he comes to see me and when you come back he always goes away, and because you looked mad before we left when me and Bruce were talking about the secret. He knows it. He said because he was able to figure it out like me and Rebecca, but why does he get to know?"

It was very obvious that this bothered Jason and Clark wasn't sure how to explain the first part because his son didn't know about Batman. "Sometimes Bruce and I see things differently. We don't always agree on certain things, like when you have a disagreement over what to play when you're with Rebecca. We don't dislike each other, we just don't agree always on certain things. Bruce was able to figure out about Superman and he gets to know because he sometimes helps me."

"Like finding the bad man?"

"Yes, just like that. Now I need you to eat, okay?"

Jason nodded his head and started in on the steamed broccoli and grilled chicken. His allergies seemed to be back with a vengeance and Fox had told them that it was likely a result of his immune system breaking down.

* * *

While Jimmy took pictures of the roped off areas with his telephoto lens, Lois had a look around as she thought about what she had seen at the morgue. So far three bodies had been found floating up on shore and she was relatively sure that more would show up. Somehow that reporter's instinct she had always had was telling her that this could be a very big story. Lois looked up at the sky as she heard a rumble of thunder and knew from the weather report that they were due for a few days of storms.

"I think I've taken all the pictures I can," Jimmy said wiping his forehead which was beaded with sweat. It was a warm day and he was ready to head back to the cool confines of the office. He walked up behind Lois and could tell she was thinking something, and it usually meant trouble.

"Jimmy I would love to know who is starting to work on the pier," Lois said. As they had driven up she had noticed all the new construction going on and wondered if some of that had anything to do with the bodies washing up to shore. Without a strain of fear in her, Lois walked over to one of the police lines and ducked under it. She walked over to one of the work sites trying to find a name when more thunder rolled over head.

While she began to sift through some of the material Jimmy looked around keeping an eye out for anyone suspicious looking or another cop for that matter. There were times he wondered how Clark took being with her, and he didn't mean that in a negative way. It was just that right now he was feeling very worried. That was when he heard a motor from a boat. He looked out over the water way and saw someone in the distance but he was too far off. "Maybe we should head back now," Jimmy said feeling more uncomfortable by the moment. When she finally turned around and came back his way Jimmy felt relieved. As they headed up the pier so that they could hale a cab to take back to the Planet, neither one of them was aware that the man in the boat was taking pictures of them.

* * *

Jason was hunched over the new lap desk which held the piece of paper he was drawing on, focused on what he was doing. He hated being in bed so much, but Becky said that he needed the rest so that he wouldn't get sick again. On the page before him, he was drawing a tree in the center and then, next to the tree, was a dragon. One of the stories his daddy read him last night had a dragon in it and now Jason wanted to draw one. On the bed to his right was the book they had shared last night and there was a picture of a dragon, but Jason wanted his to be very nice. As he finished drawing it, his door opened and he looked up to see that his mommy was there. "Mommy come and look," Jason called out a moment before he began to cough. This cough wasn't a bad one, just a residual cough left over from his pneumonia. During the day he usual didn't cough but at night it was still somewhat of a problem.

Lois had enjoyed her day back at work, but she had to admit as she walked over to her son's bed that she had missed seeing him. "A dragon? That is really a great picture, baby," Lois said as she sat down on the bed. As she did so, Jason moved the lap buddy away and crawled out from beneath the covers settling in the comfort of her arms

"Why did you go back to work?"

Lois wrapped her arms around her little boy and kissed the top of his head for a moment breathing in the smell of the mild shampoo they used in his hair. "Well I have been away from work for a while now and it is important for both your daddy and I to do our jobs so that we can have money," Lois replied.

"I was lonely for you mommy," Jason admitted as he yawned. Despite having a two and a half hour nap earlier that day, Jason was getting sleepy. He had gotten used to having both parents around and he really did miss them when they left more so than ever before.

All Lois could do was hold on to her little boy feeling slightly guilty for having gone back to work. "Did you already have dinner?"

"Alfred made me some chicken soup without the noodles, and I got to have some Lime Jell-O after that." He yawned again and rubbed his eyes, and then giggled when his daddy walked into the room wearing the clown nose he had gotten while he was at the hospital the night Sarah made him a clown. "That's my nose daddy," Jason said as he rested his right cheek against Lois's chest.

"It is? I thought it was mine," Clark claimed as he walked over to the bed. He could also tell that Jason was getting sleepy and when he leaned down to kiss his son; Jason took the red nose away.

Jason laughed as both of his parents tickled him and asked for more, but the laughing was causing his cough to worsen and that in turn made him sad again. He took a few sips of water from the cup his mom held for him and then tossed the red clown nose on the floor. "Why did the bad man have to make me sick?" Jason asked through another yawn. He stayed in his mother's arms as she stood up and looked at the bed as his dad pulled the covers back for him. "I don't want any more sleep," he said sadly as he was placed on the right side of the mattress. His lips drew down into a frown and he knew it was silly to cry about having to go to bed but there was more to it than that.

After kicking off her shoes Lois had Jason move over and lay down next to him gathering him into her arms as he cried just like he had the last couple of nights, though this time he let her comfort him. A few moments later he settled down and Lois rubbed her hand over his back. "Did you have fun today?"

"I missed you, but Alfred played checkers and then Bruce came and I asked him how come he can know about daddy's secret and not Rebecca." Jason's eye lids were drooping heavily over his eyes and he fought to stay awake. "He says he figured out like me and Rebecca did but I want her to know," Jason mumbled as his eyes finally shut.

Lois continued to rub her hand over Jason's back until she was certain he would remain asleep. When she was ready Clark, who had been standing near the window, came back to the bed and helped her up. Once Jason was tucked in the two of them went out of his room and across the hall to their own. Inside their room with the door shut, Lois gladly went into Clark's arms. They shared a gentle searching kiss and once they parted Lois headed for the dresser to put something comfortable on.

"So how did your first day go?" Asked Clark as he walked over to the bed where he sat down on the edge.

As Lois undressed, she told him how busy it had been. "Did you know that there were two other bodies found by the pier aside from the one that you found that night?" She turned around to look at him and could see from the expression on his face that he had not known. "All of them shared a few things in common." As she finished getting dressed, she explained, "The first thing that was similar was that all three of them were men. The second was that all three of them had their finger tips and their teeth removed. Anything that could identify them was taken away. That was why your guy had his hair shaved."

It was obvious that she was excited about this, because, he knew as a reporter that she would have one heck of a story on her hands if she could figure it out. "Do you need me to fly over there tonight on my rounds? I can scan the ocean floor to see if there might be more." His mind went back the cult killings and he hoped that it didn't have anything to do with that. Everyone in Metropolis was glad that was over with.

"I think that might be a good idea, just be careful. Something about this worries me." Lois looked to her left into his blue eyes. "Could this be Lex?"

His thoughts had also brought him to that same question, though what had been done to them was brutal. "It doesn't seem like it would be him," he replied as he wrapped her arms around her and held her for a time.

When it was time for him to go Lois stood at their window and watched the sky until she couldn't see him anymore. Once he was gone she headed downstairs to get her own dinner and catch the news if she could.

* * *

Something woke Jason from his sound sleep, and as he opened his eyes he couldn't remember where he was for a moment. As the little boy became more wakeful he realized he was still at Bruce's house and sat up looking over at the fire place across from his bed and at the night light on the mantel. He watched as his room lit up and then shuttered when he heard the loud rumble of thunder over head. "Daddy," he called out as he turned around looking for his stuffed puppy that his Granny had sent to him from home. Trampster wasn't where he should be. As more thunder rumbled and the wind picked up he was becoming more worried. "Daddy I'm afraid now," Jason called out trying to be a brave little boy.

He remembered a long time ago when a storm had come up at the old house. Then his Daddy Richard had lay in the bed with him during such a storm and told him about counting between the thunder and lightning but Jason couldn't remember how to do it. As he was about to cry his door opened and his daddy was there to hold him before the next clap of thunder rumbled through the sky.

"Shhh," Clark said as he sat down on the bed holding Jason close. He and Lois had been otherwise occupied when he heard Jason call out for him and even with Super speed it had taken him more time than he wanted to get to his little boy.

As Jason rested his cheek against his father's shoulder he realized that his daddy only had on a pair of pajama bottoms. "Why don't you have a shirt on?" Jason asked as he lifted his head away from Clark's shoulder to look at him even in the darkened room.

"It was too warm for a shirt," Clark said hoping Jason would be satisfied with that. When he saw his little boy yawn Clark leaned over to lay him back on the bed but Jason hung on. "I won't go anywhere," he reassured as Jason let go.

"Its scary daddy," Jason said rubbing his eyes.

"The thunder and lightening won't hurt you because you are safe inside this house. Bruce built it with very strong materials to keep all of us safe, so you don't have to be afraid anymore." Clark reached out with his right hand placing it over Jason's chest. He smiled as his son wrapped his small arms around his hand and stayed with him until he went back to sleep.

* * *

Lois had almost gone back to sleep when she felt his side of the bed shift. When she turned over and looked at him she saw a bemused look on his face. "What is it?"

"He wanted to know why I didn't have a shirt on," Clark said watching as her eyes grew big. "Fortunately I got away with my explanation of it being too warm." He chuckled as he gave her his explanation and both of them agreed that they would have to be a little more careful. Jason wasn't yet ready to know about what went on in his parent's bedroom after he went to bed, and neither Lois nor Clark was ready to explain that to him.

Scooting closer, Lois rested her right cheek against his body and sighed in contentment as his arms wrapped around her. She knew that he would likely be gone by morning but right now having him here was what she was thankful for.

* * *

Morning's arrival brought an unexpected protest from Jason who did not want Lois to go in to work. Clark was not there when she woke up, as she had guessed, and when she turned on the TV she saw Superman helping with the damage caused by strong storms to the west of them. Lois had just started to dress for work when Jason entered her room and she was now trying to explain to him why she needed to work. "Jason I need to follow up on a story I'm working on for you Uncle Perry, Lois said as she held him in her arms. He had never acted this way, so clingy before and she knew a lot had to do with him being so sick.

Jason held on to his mom still feeling tired and sad. "I want you here," he finally said, still keeping his arms wrapped around her neck.

"I know munchkin," Lois replied not sure what else to tell him. When Becky entered the room and Jason heard her voice he held on tighter.

"Hello Jason, do you mind if I listen to your breathing for a moment?" It was obvious that the little boy was not having a good morning and Becky wondered if something else was going on with him, hoping that it wasn't.

"Jason, she won't hurt you," Lois tried as she felt his head shake. Finally Lois held him still letting Becky listen and take his temperature while Jason cried and even screamed. None of it hurt him and she knew he was just angry and tired of having to endure daily check ups. When she let him go he ran back across the hall to his room and both adults heard the door slam shut. "Did you hear anything?" Lois asked.

Becky wrote down a few things on the chart she had been keeping for him and then looked at Lois. "He's still congested. I want you to do two nebulizer treatments a day instead of one and at night keep a humidifier close to his bed." Becky noticed how worried Lois looked and offered her a smile of reassurance. "I know how hard this is Lois, but he is getting better. This is just going to take time for his body to heal, but he will heal." Knowing that Bernard was waiting for her downstairs she left, hoping that Jason would be well and that this idea that Fox had shared with her truly would work.

Once Becky had gone Lois continued getting dressed. She knew Jason would come around, but even so it was still hard to have him angry at her. Lois picked out a cream button down top and a dark skirt to go with it. Once she had dressed she put on a short string of pearls and matching earrings and was looking herself over in the mirror when she saw Jason in the reflection entering her room, looking pitiful. As she knelt down she was relieved when he came willing into her arms and when she had him she held on to him kissing the top of his head.

Jason loved the way his mommy smelled when she got ready for work and shut his eyes as she held on to him. He liked Alfred and Bruce, but he missed his mommy when she went away and while he was in his room, he began to feel bad for getting mad at her. "Mommy can daddy bring me to work so we can have lunch with you?"

The tone in Jason's voice was hopeful and Lois shut her own eyes when she knew she would have to tell him that he could not come to work. "Jason, do you know why we are staying here with Mr. Wayne?"

For a moment Jason stayed still because he already knew she was going to say know but then he really did want to know why they had to stay here. "I'm getting all better mommy," he mumbled against her neck.

"I know you are baby, I know, but even if you are feeling really good without any coughing or fevers there is a danger for you now," she said, unsure if she should tell him this. It was times like these when she hated for Clark not to be here even though she knew that he had to stay committed to Superman in order to avoid Lex Luthor getting any ideas about his other identity.

What she said didn't make any sense to him so Jason lifted his head away from her shoulder and looked up into her eyes as she looked down at him. "What is dangerous?" he asked. She stood up and carried him over to a nearby desk, sitting in the chair that was pulled out. As she held him on her lap, she explained that he could get sick very easily. When she finished telling him this, he took in a deep breath and let it out. "The bad man hates me because he hates daddy, doesn't he?"

Before she could answer that, her cell began to ring and she couldn't ignore it, as much as she wanted to. She answered still holding Jason in her arms finding Perry on the other end. "I know I'm running a little behind. I promise I'll call you as soon as I get on the road." She listened as he told her about another body discovered by the docks and knew she needed to go, but at the same time Jason needed to be with one of his parents. She hung up and put her phone on her desk. "Lex Luthor doesn't like anyone who won't let him have his way, munchkin," Lois said as Jason put his arms around her middle.

"I never hurt him mommy. I hurt the other bad guy that wanted to hurt you. Is that why he is mad at me?"

Just outside their room Clark waited as Lois tried to explain about Lex Luthor to their son and had heard most of the conversation as he made his way upstairs. Before heading to their room he had talked to Bruce about finding more bodies and both of them were beginning to think Lex did have a hand in it, but how or why was not yet that obvious.

He knew Lois was groping for answers and when he entered the room he found a look of relief and worry pass over the soft features of her face. "Jason, Lex Luthor is afraid of anyone who can take away the things he wants most in life which right now is great power. He likes the power to take advantage of people and make them afraid. As Superman I have been able to stop him and he does not like that." When he reached them Clark leaned in and Kissed Lois on the lips before he kissed Jason who held on to him. Clark lifted him off of Lois's lap and hugged him close as she got up. "Do you need me to take you in?" He asked as Jason rested his head against his left shoulder.

"No I'll see if Bruce's driver won't mind the trip. I think I might stop by the house and get the car so they don't have to keep driving us around." Once she had her things gathered Clark and Jason escorted her downstairs where a driver was waiting to take her to Metropolis which was an hour away on a good day and a little more during the high traffic hours like now. Lois gave both of them hugs and kisses and once she was gone, Clark carried Jason into the kitchen where Alfred had his breakfast waiting.

* * *

**AN:** _My thanks as always goes out to those of you who have kept up with me both reading and reviewing. Your opinion matters to me so keep them coming. Again I have to thank Beeto for the wonderful Beta reading, Thank you thank you thank you_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17: The Irrefutable Truth**

The loud thud of hands slapping down against the table he had fallen asleep against woke Duncan instantly and the young geneticist bravely looked up into Luthor's face. "I think I figured it out," he said trying not to shake or look as frightened as he felt. His usual soft brown hair was matted down against his face from days without a bath, and he wondered if now his boss was going to shoot him and then drop him into the water to drown.

"My dear boy what I need you to do now is not involving Superman directly." Lex tossed a few photos in front of the young man and folded his arms against his chest. He had on a suit and tie and looked very professional for a man who had woken up to find an article in the paper involving the bodies he had dropped off the coast of Metropolis. "What I need now is for you and McGregor to go down to the morgue and bring those bodies back here. I don't need a trail leading back to me just yet, not when the fun game is just about to begin. Tonight I want the two of you down there and I don't care if you have to kill half the city I want those bodies brought back here where we can dispose of the evidence. If you fail you will join them." Lex turned around and glared at McGregor. "The same goes for you."

* * *

Having a pelvic exam had never been one of Lois's favorite things to do, but like most women she endured it. A few days ago she realized, dumbly, that if they were going to have a baby she needed to make sure everything down there was in good working order. Again they were using people who knew about the secret, a gynecologist who knew Becky and her husband who after an extensive background check had been let in on the biggest secret in the world. Once her exam was finished Lois was able to get dressed and gain back a little dignity.

Today Clark's parents had arrived after insuring that no one was watching the house or them, and Jason had taken them outside, wanting them to show them the huge yard. Clark had been ready to stay with Lois but Superman had been needed and so now she was alone as she finished dressing in the room she and Clark shared. Dr. Sanderson had just left to take the results down to Fox and Lois hoped that all went well.

Lois was by no means comfortable having another baby. She knew that she would love any child she had with Clark, but she was still worried about a great many things. "One thing at a time Lane," she muttered to herself. She hoped Clark would be back soon because she needed to get back to town so she could go to the morgue to see if anything new had been found on the bodies they retrieved. Forensics was already looking to see if they could find the bullets, if that were possible; if the bullets were all the same the next question would be if they had been fired from the same gun. Lois walked over to the window and looked outside at the beautiful sunshiny day. A smile spread across her face as she watched Jason chasing after Lucky who had also been brought by for a visit. Fox and Becky both agreed that small visits like these were permissible and Lois hoped that very soon they could take Jason back home.

* * *

In his lab Fox looked over what Dr. Sanderson had brought him. Lois was a healthy woman and what the blood test had shown him had surprised him especially since she had just come off of birth control. He looked up at Grace who had shared his surprise momentarily. "When should we tell them?" Fox heard her ask as he looked again to make sure he was seeing this right. "This evening," he answered adjusting the lens of the microscope. "I will need you to find out how far along she is, and run a few other tests."

Lois had not been off birth control for the standard time it would take for her body to pump out all of the medicine, which would in turn allow her to become pregnant. That meant that she had conceived before she was off of the medication and one of the tests Fox wanted was an ultrasound to make sure the child was devolving and that there were no ill affects from Lois still being on Birth control.

* * *

Around evening Duncan and McGregor arrived at the morgue with the IDs Lex had provided for them. They were now part of the DA's office wanting a transfer of the five bodies that had been found. In the mean time their boss had hired some men to try and find the other two knowing that any more evidence would ruin all he had worked so hard to accomplish. A few of the hospital personal helped load the bodies up in the Ambulance again provided by Luthor's money and soon the two men were on their way out of the city

"Hope the boss likes this, because if he don't we can go on and dig our own graves," McGregor said looking over at the young geneticist. He could tell the man was nervous and as tough as McGregor was, he was also just as nervous. Their boss seemed to be getting crazier by the moment, but the money was good and that was why McGregor was willing to stay on.

Duncan continued to drive and wondered if the men who had worked for Lex before, primarily the one guy who had come up with the strain to kill off the kid had felt so trapped. "Yeah," was all he could think to say as they continued on their way.

* * *

After a tearful goodbye to Lucky and his grandparents and not long after Jason had gone to bed, Lois and Clark found themselves in one of the smaller parlors facing Fox and Dr. Sanderson. Lois could tell something was up and not one to wait around for pleasantries she spoke. "You found something didn't you. I haven't been all that great about getting to see a doctor. After my son was born I… well my life got complicated," she said praying that this wasn't something like Cervical Cancer.

"Lois you are in good health, so this doesn't have anything to do with what we did this morning, at least not entirely," Dr. Sanderson said allowing Fox to pick up where she left off.

"One of the tests we ran on your blood was a pregnancy test and that came back positive," Fox said watching as she quickly looked away.

That didn't make any sense and at the same time it was crystal clear making Lois feel like she had been transported back into time. Lois could still remember the day she was told something very similar only this time she was not left alone. When she finally looked back at Fox she wasn't sure what to ask first. "So I'll give a wild guess that my being on birth control won't do me any good," she said feeling every emotion at once.

Beside her Clark was surprised mostly because he had not been able to tell that she was already pregnant, with all the powers he had he would have guessed that he would have been able to tell before anyone else. He listened as Fox explained about his own genetic makeup and how the normal means of contraception would not work with Lois. Then Clark tuned them all out, focusing first on Lois's heart beat and then hearing the irrefutable truth: the very fast heart beat of their unborn child which if he recalled from his studies of a growing fetus made her at least five weeks along. He tuned back in as Lois asked them if they were sure and put a hand on her shoulder bringing her focus and theirs on him. "I can hear the heart beat," he said his voice filled with wonder at that.

This time she wanted to find a way out of the country but Lois had sworn off running. "You didn't know before now right?" she nearly snapped, feeling like she was caged and unable to escape any of this.

"Lois, I would have told you the moment I knew," Clark said and then they both faced Dr. Sanderson who wanted Lois to make an appointment at her office as soon as was possible for an ultrasound so that they could tell how far along she was. After that the two of them went back to their room.

Now Lois was sitting in bed after putting on a long shirt and a pair of lose fitting gray sweat pants. If she had been truthful with herself she should have known that something was going on. Her clothing was fitting a little more snug these days and she had missed at least one cycle, if not more, but with everything that had been going on with Jason she had not exactly been keeping track of her own body.

Clark knew she needed time to think but he really wanted to know what she was feeling. After going across the hall and putting the covers back over their son, he had returned to their room and changed into pajama bottoms and a t-shirt. As he sat down in the bed next to Lois that seemed to draw her attention and in a moment she was leaning into his embrace. "I will be here for all of this," he said knowing that she worried about that still.

"I know. Clark, I'm afraid. I'm not afraid of you leaving us again, but how do we try and explain this to Jason? He's had so much on his plate to deal with already and what if he thinks he is being replaced?" She felt almost more afraid for Jason's negative reaction than she did anything else, and Lois was tired of feeling so afraid and so helpless.

There was no way to know how Jason would feel about having another sibling, but Clark had a feeling that their son would enjoy sharing his life with someone else mostly because there would be someone near his age that would someday share the secret. "We try and be as understanding as we can, but I don't think this will be as bad as you think. He might be afraid at first but if we include him in this he might like the idea."

Something else that had been on her mind more so than anything else was when they should get married. "I want us to be married, Clark. We are living our lives together as a couple and the only thing that we lack now is the legal part of it all. I want to be committed to you and Jason," she said and then shook her head as she looked down at her belly. "I guess I have to include this one as well," she said taking her hand and putting it over her belly. When he placed his hand over hers Lois felt her heart flutter. She wasn't sure what would happen now but right now she really didn't care because right now she had all she wanted right here in this room.

* * *

As soon as she walked into the office the next morning, and after swearing to Clark that she would not place herself in any foreseeable danger, Lois heard Perry calling out her name, or her last name. As she pushed her way through the crowded office she wondered about changing her name and then that thought fled her mind as she saw the expression on the Editor and Chief's face. "Perry?" she asked.

"Lois sit down," he said as he took a seat behind his desk. When he looked at her he could see something different in her eyes and if this wasn't such an important time for the paper then he would have asked. "Lane, those bodies you and Superman found have been taken by the DA, or men who claimed to have worked for the DA. There is a press conference downtown in about an hour. I want you to grab Olsen and go cover what the DA has to say about all of this. If it is some sort of cover up then I want this paper to have an exclusive or as close to one as we can get."

Lois knew not to waste any time and rushed over to her desk where Jimmy was already waiting. The first thing that came to her mind was Lex Luthor, but it would be hard to pin this on him with what Perry had just said and then her mind went back to the cult. "Jimmy get my things for me I need to go and call Clark." Lois knew things could easily get out of hand and she wanted him close by because she had more than herself to think of now. When she reached the roof, the best place to get reception and the best place to have that type of conversation, she hit the speed dial button for the Manor and Alfred picked up. "Alfred, this is Lois. Is Clark available?" she asked hoping that Superman wasn't half way around the world.

"He just left about ten minutes ago shall I have him ring you when I see him?" Alfred asked as he watched Jason make a killing move at the game of checkers he and the little boy were playing.

Lois sighed. "Yeah that would be good." She hung up and shut her eyes and as she turned toward the door leading back inside, he was there. "You heard?" she asked. Today she had driven in to work even though it had taken a while. Lois had needed that time to think about all of the big changes that would take place once the baby was here and the drive had helped her sort through some of her feelings.

"Yes. I would assume you are on your way there."

"Perry wants an exclusive but I'll try not to get in harms way." She watched as he flew away and then went back inside to find Jimmy and get to her car.

* * *

Downtown was a madhouse and Lois had to park her Audi several blocks away. Before they left her car she found her flats and was grateful she had remembered to bring them. Now they pushed their way through the sea of other reporters trying to get as close to the action as they could. Lois wasn't aware of it but she kept her left hand over her belly subconsciously protecting the child inside. Finally, they made it to the very front despite the protests of other reporters just as the DA came out of the courthouse prepare to address the issue at large.

"My office is looking into these allegations but I assure you that we had no involvement in the removal of the bodies that the Planet reported nearly a week ago."

As soon as he finished Lois asked her first question. "What gain is in it for you to take the bodies, is this another cult killing?" she shouted out. The look on his face was one of worriment but Lois didn't care. If it was the cult then the city would go into a panic.

"Right now we are as mystified about this as all of you are. But the preliminary investigation suggested that the bodies were not killed in any form of ritualistic fashion.

High above the crowd Superman was focused on the press conference, looking out for danger. He was worried about the crowd but more so for Lois because of Lex and this smelled like him.

* * *

As Lex sat in his private office watching the news he grinned. Miss Lane had brought up his involvement but everyone else seemed more interested in pinning it on the DA. His next plan was to plant evidence there and then there would be no more questions and he would again be free to go about his business. Yes, he had to admit to himself that things had not been going very good at first, but this latest plan would hopefully keep Lois and Superman away long enough for Duncan to finish what he had begun.

* * *

It was well past dinner when Lois walked into the house and as she shut the door and turned around she found Bruce waiting for her. "Hello," she offered, not sure what he was doing.

"I noticed that you left with your car. It might not be safe for you to use that so I took the liberty of getting a rental for you," he said. Bruce had lived with secure measures since he took on the role of Batman and it amazed him that neither Clark nor Lois took better care especially now.

"Thank you," she said as he nodded his head and left. Clark was right. There were things about Bruce that were much different than what she was used to. He had coldness about him at times and she wondered if it had to do with his loss of his parents. After pocketing the keys he had given to her, she headed up the main set of stairs to go see what the two men in her lives were up to. Upon arriving at Jason's room, she heard muffled laughter from behind the bathroom door and smiled as she approached. She knocked on the door and then walked inside finding their son surrounded by tons of bubbles in the large bath tub.

"Mommy I'm an old man," Jason said as he rubbed some of the bubbles below his chin making what looked like a beard.

Lois smiled at him and then to Clark who was sitting on a nearby chair waiting for their son with a towel already in hand. She walked over to Clark and kissed him gently on the lips glad to see him after a long day. "Bruce thinks driving the Audi is too much of a risk so he rented a car for me to drive. I don't think he was very happy," she said softly so that Jason wouldn't hear them.

While his parents talked Jason sailed the boats around his very large tub. He had fun today and hoped that he could stay in the water forever, even though his skin was already starting to wrinkle. Jason grinned as he launched his two ships and made them crash and then cleared out some of the bubbles so that he could watch them sink. That was when he heard his mom tell him it was time to get out of the water. "But I'm having fun mommy," Jason said in a sad voice hoping he would get his way to stay in for a bit longer.

Clark knew Jason wanted to stay in longer but backed Lois up. "Jason it's time to get out. Your mom is right," he said as he stood up.

Jason stayed in his spot sulking. "What if I don't come out?" he asked softly.

As he said that Lois had a mental image of two children not wanting out of the bath or to come inside and she wondered how they would deal with that. "Right now young man," she stated in a firm tone." That got him moving but the look on his face was one of anger. Again Lois thought of when they would tell him about the baby and how he would react to that news. Their lives were changing so quickly and sometimes she wished that Superman would turn back the hands of time and that he would never have gone away. At times she wished that so that Lex Luthor would never have had the chance to get out of prison, but that was something that she knew he couldn't do twice without upsetting the greater laws of the Universe, and then she wondered how she knew that.

In Jason's room she stood by and watched as Clark got him dried off and ready for bed. When it was her turn to hug him Jason rolled away from her. "I love you," she whispered as she leaned over and kissed his cheek. Lois was at least thankful that Jason wasn't angry enough to wipe the kiss away as he had a time or two before.

* * *

Much later that evening as Lois's heart beat began to find a normal pace while her naked body rested mostly on top of Clark's body; her thoughts began to focus again on the baby. There were times when she felt she thought too much about things, and while that had earned her the reputation of a great reporter it was times like now when she wished her mind would simply shut off.

As Clark held the woman he loved in his arms he could feel the slight tension in her body returning and knew with out a doubt that her mind was on something. "Stop worrying," he teased. He felt her sigh and lifted his head just far enough off of the pillow to kiss the top of hers. "Do you want to talk?" he asked wrapping both of his arms around her.

How he could tell she needed to talk was something she would ask another time. "How do we keep the children safe? I think Bruce was put off because I drove my car and if Lex was looking for that it may have led him here," she said very comfortable right where she was.

Clark had been doing a lot of thinking about that and his only conclusion was to move them out of the city all together. "I think buying land outside the city to build on that is far enough from neighbors where I will be able to take off and land without being detected for starters. Beyond that we have to think like Lex and try and figure out what his next move will be. Bruce thinks he may be trying to create another virus to use on me."

When he said that her heart nearly stopped beating and then she lifted her head to look at him. "Do you think he could do that?" She thought about that and knew he likely could now that he was possibly aware of how Jason had reacted to the virus he had been exposed to.

"We can't underestimate him Lois, look what he did with our son," Clark managed. He sighed as she placed her head back down against his chest and wanted nothing more than to wash his hands of the criminals of the world.

They were quiet for a few minutes and then Lois thought again about marriage. "With all of this going on I'm not sure how we could get married," she said ruefully.

"Do we need to have a lot of people? I know my mom would love to see us married but I'm not sure public would be the right way to go with Lex on the loose." Clark wanted to marry her but until Lex was caught and dealt with that put his secret at risk.

"It always comes down to Lex," she said feeling the urge to cry. Tomorrow was her appointment with Dr. Sanderson and even that seemed like a risk. Fortunately this doctor had an office here in Gotham City but Lois was still worried.

"We will find him soon, Lois. Sooner or later he will slip up and when I find him… Well, when I find him he won't know east from west." That caused her to look up at him and he smiled at her reaching out to move away a strand of hair that had fallen across her face. "I promise not to kill him," he said and leaned up as she slid a little up his body. They kissed and soon all other thoughts of Lex, marriage, or the baby fled their minds as they made love a few more times before falling into a much needed rest.

* * *

Dr. Sanders greeted both of them as they arrived at her office. It was still early in the morning and Jason was with them. After he had cried again not wanting them to leave this morning, they both agreed to take him along and tell him what was going on. It was a lot for him to take in but Clark was hopeful that by including him he would feel a part of this.

Jason stayed in his father's arms as they waited outside the room his mommy was in. He still had on his pajamas and on his feet were his Goofy slippers which went along with the designs of his pajamas printed with the Disney character Goofy. "Daddy is mommy sick?"

"No she isn't." Just then the door opened and Clark walked into the room. Lois was already laying on a table and Dr. Sanderson was seated on a stool in front of a monitor. Lois's belly was uncovered and both Clark and Jason watched as the Doctor squirted some sort of gel there.

Jason wondered if he could touch the jelly on his mommy's tummy and then watched as the doctor took something that looked like a grocery store scanner and began moving it around. "What is that doing?" he asked looking back at his father.

"Watch the monitor," Clark said praying to god that Jason wouldn't get mad at this news.

For a moment there wasn't much to see and then there was a small spec of something. Dr. Sanderson focused in on it and looked over at Jason who looked very confused. "Do you see this?' she asked putting her finger on the spot which didn't look like much at the moment.

"What is it, is it mommy's stomach?"

On the exam table Lois had to try not to laugh because suddenly her little boy seemed very fascinated. "Jason that is the baby that is inside of me." She watched him and at first he didn't seem to really understand and then when he did he wanted to know more.

"How did that baby get there and it doesn't look very big, does it? Do I get to be the big brother?" he asked realizing what that meant. Petey had a baby brother named Douglas and Jason thought it was neat because Douglas always wanted to do what Petey wanted.

All of the adults felt relief and for a time Dr. Sanderson answered his questions more about what he was seeing leaving the explanation for how the baby got there to Jason's parents. "Well Lois it looks like you are about 6 weeks along. I understand that you had a difficult pregnancy with your son," she said as she turned off the machine.

Clark had taken Jason back into the hall and Lois was getting dressed. "I went into labor with him when I was about 22 weeks along, and he was born 14 weeks before his due date," she said not liking to bring that up even though it was important for the doctor to know about that.

"Were you working full time?" she asked as she began to take down some notes.

"Yes but I felt fine to do that and I hadn't had any problems, no high blood pressure or anything that might have led to his early arrival."

"You were under a great deal of stress given the circumstances," she ventured to guess voicing it out loud.

Lois almost felt like her privacy was being invaded, but again she knew the doctor needed this to help with this pregnancy. "I was terrified and yes I was stressed out. I didn't sleep well and I know I didn't eat well even though I was carrying him.

Outside Jason had asked a few more questions but had gone to sleep. When Lois came out of the exam room, Clark could tell she was agitated but took her hand anyway. When they arrived at the door leading outside, he stopped her and listened and then scanned outside making sure it was safe for them before he let them go. Another thing he and Bruce had talked about was greater care when they were outside, and Clark readily agreed. Once he had Jason buckled in the back in his booster seat Clark got in the drivers side and they headed back to the manor.

"I felt like I was being drilled back there," Lois admitted, glad he had taken her hand again. His touch was what she needed and seeing the reality of the baby on the monitor made it all that more real for her.

Clark had heard some of the questions and took her hand bringing it to his lips where he placed a kiss on the back. "She just wants to help," he said gently.

"I know she does, I just… that's what scares me. If this baby won't make it to term how do we cope? We can't live at Bruce's for ever."

There was truth in what Lois said, but right now they didn't have the luxury of going home. Bringing Jason with them had been a risk but neither of them was willing to leave him there when his crying brought on an asthma attack. He needed them, so he came along.

* * *

It was near lunch when Lois finally made it to work. Jason had still been asleep when she left using the rental and on the way she had talked to her mother who wanted to know where they were. That had ended up in another fight and Lois had hung up the phone before her father could get in on the argument. She knew they were worried, but she also knew her father would have three heart attacks if he found out about her relationship with Superman. The General liked the man in blue but the fact that he was an alien would not sit well with him if he knew Jason's true parentage. One day she would tell them but not right now.

At her desk Lois found a few files she had asked to see. There were some older reports she had written about Lex Luthor and then some she had never gotten much chance to look into, such as his involvement with Gertrude Vanderworth. One of the other reporters from Society had written about the relatives all up in arms because Lex had inherited everything. It was old news but it was a starting point. Lois found two names and began to make calls.

* * *

"Daddy, why don't you work anymore with mommy?" Jason asked as he lifted his head away from Clark's chest. He had a pretty bad asthma attack while they were walking outside and both Becky and Fox wanted him to rest today. Now Jason was resting in his favorite spot against his father's strong chest.

Clark smiled at his little boy. "Because one of us needs to look after you and your mommy likes working."

"I don't like her going all the time," Jason said as he listened to his daddy's heart beating beneath his ear. "I bet the baby won't like it either," Jason added trying to fight off going back to sleep.

Hearing him say that last part assured Clark that it had been the right decision to include him today and he hoped that once they baby was born Jason wouldn't feel lonely. The other hope he held on to with every ounce of his being was finding Lex Luthor before the baby was born so that there would be one less worry in the world for all of his family. Once Jason was asleep Clark left him in the bed he and Lois shared and got on his cell. It was a new one that Bruce had secured for him so that no one would hear them. He phoned Lois and told her about Jason's asthma attack and assured her that if anything else happened he would be there to bring her home before she could blink.

Once the call had ended Clark was ready to go rest with Jason when he picked up on a radio broadcast coming from somewhere inside the house. There had been an accidental missile launch in the Middle East, or that was what the broadcaster claimed. Knowing that Superman was needed Clark quickly found Alfred in the parlor and once he was sure Jason would be taken care of he ran out of the house through the front door using super speed to change into his outfit. Once he was in the air high above the earth he began to fly around the globe ready to stop the missile before any more hostilities could arise in that area of the world.

* * *

**AN** _Thank you for reading this next part, and look out for more. As always read and review so I know what you think. Thankyou also goes out to Beeto for the Beta..._


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18: Some Part of the Secret**

Snuggled safely against his mother's left side in her bed; Jason listened as she read a book called Sleepy ABC. It wasn't a long book like The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, and it was easy enough for him to read on his own but sometimes he liked the shorter books illustrated with fun and colorful pictures.

"Z is for Zipper. Now zip into bed, not another peep. Go to sleep," Lois said as she finished the story her parents had sent for her little boy. They still didn't know where Jason was staying, but had sent it to the house, and Martha had taken it to the post office and had it sent just a few days ago.

"I like that book," Jason said as his mom put it down and wrapped her arms around him.

"I liked it too, your Nanna and the General did a good job picking that out," Lois replied.

Jason thought about them and missed them but he knew that there were only a few people who could know where he was. While he didn't understand exactly why that was so, he had gotten used to it for the most part. "Mommy, what does it feel like to have a baby in your belly?"

Lois had shut her eyes but opened them when her son asked her that question. Jason had been full of questions regarding the baby and she and Clark had been patiently answering them. "Right now I really don't notice having a baby there, but once this little one starts to grow I will be able to feel when he or she moves around," Lois said.

"That must feel really strange," Jason replied as he yawned. "When will daddy come home?"

The last thing Lois had heard, before they came in here to read his new book, was that Superman was helping look for some Spelunkers who had gotten lost in a huge cave system down in New Mexico. "I don't know munchkin, he is helping find that group of people who got lost in the cave, remember?" Lois already had her eyes shut, not sure why she was so tired. She knew it was likely the baby, but with Jason she had never felt tired or had morning sickness.

It wasn't long before his mommy went to sleep and without disturbing her, Jason got out of the bed and decided tonight would be a good time to explore. The little boy walked down the hallway to the left from his parents' room. The passageway led to the stairs which either led downstairs or up another set of stairs to the west wing where he knew Bruce's room was. Jason opted to go downstairs turning to his left passing the stair way before he went down a long winding hall leading to the back of the house. It was getting dark but he could still see where he was going and soon he ended up in a big room with lots of books and lots of other really neat things.

What caught his interest out of all of the artifacts was the grand piano. It reminded him of the bad guy but he knew that this particular piano belonged to Bruce and without any fear, Jason climbing on the bench and lifted his hand to play when another larger hand gently caught it. Jason took in a deep breath and suddenly his lungs started to sting.

Bruce had been on his way to the Bat Cave when he saw Jason enter the room, alone, and now realized that the little boy was in the throws of an asthma attack. "Hey do you have your inhaler?" He watched the little boy nod his head and in a moment Jason took a deep breath of the inhalant into his oxygen starved lungs. When his breathing returned to normal Bruce smiled at him. "I didn't mean to scare you, but this piano has a few broken keys," Bruce said hating to lie to the kid, but Jason didn't need to find out about Batman just yet.

"Who broke them?" asked Jason as he let Bruce help him down off the bench. As Bruce began to lead the way out, Jason reached up and grabbed his left hand.

It startled him when the little boy took his hand but then Bruce felt something he never had and realized how close he was becoming to Jason. "Oh. I'm not sure. I think they broke because no one plays it. I'll try to get it fixed if you are interested in playing."

Before Jason could get a chance to answer they ran into his mom who looked frightened and then relieved. "Oh Jason, don't you do that again! This is a very big house and you have to be careful," Lois exclaimed as she hugged her son close.

"I'll see the two of you in the morning," Bruce said as he started back the way he and Jason had come, letting Lois handle her little boy.

Already tears were running down his cheeks and Jason held on to his mommy as she tried to let him go. "I wanted to see," he sobbed as she held him closer.

Lois hadn't meant to sound so frightened or frightening, but when she woke up and found Jason neither in her room or his own she had panicked. "I know you did sweetheart, but this is Bruce's house and there are many things in here that you might get hurt on," she explained as she turned her head to the right and kissed his wet cheek.

"Lois, Jason?" came Clark's questioning voice as he ran down the stairs very close to super speed.

When Clark arrived home in the room he and Lois shared, he heard Jason's cries and it had startled him. "What happened?"

"Don't tell him," Jason sobbed holding on tighter. He felt embarrassed by all of this and he was overly tired which never mixed well with any young child.

Clark saw her mouth that she would tell him later and helped her stand up. When they arrived in Jason's room their little boy had calmed down somewhat but didn't want Lois to leave him. He brushed his teeth and washed his face, and then took all of the medications he was back on before climbing into his bed where his mommy was waiting. Jason let his daddy give him a kiss and hug and then snuggled into his mother's embrace.

* * *

Clark slipped into the bathroom off their room and took a quick shower, shutting his eyes when he realized he should have showered before he went to Jason. Once he was clean he went back into the bedroom and pulled on a pair of boxers and a T-shirt, and as he finished straightening the wrinkles out of the shirt Lois came into their room looking tired. Instead of asking her about Jason he walked the three steps it took for him to reach her and gathered her into his arms.

His arms around her were heavenly and Lois shut her eyes as she rested her left cheek against his chest. "We read a book that my parents sent him today, and I fell asleep. When I did our son decided to take a tour of the house. Fortunately Bruce found him before he could get into anything too serious." As she finished telling him this, he led her over to the bed and in a moment she was resting on the mattress, peering up at his soft blue eyes. "I'm not sure why I'm this tired already," she admitted as he leaned over and placed a warm kiss against her soft lips.

"Maybe because you are growing a baby," Clark teased as they parted.

"I guess so," Lois agreed, willing to admit that as she stifled a yawn. Her eyes followed Clark as he walked around the bed and when he slipped in beside her she soon found his arms around her and could not complain even if her eyelids refused to stay open.

* * *

Once again, Jason was the only one around besides Alfred. His daddy was somewhere helping people as he always seemed to do and his mommy was working. It had only been a few days since he found out about the baby in his mommy's belly, and while he was excited about it he was also worried. He was thinking about that so much that he had stopped pushing around the big dump truck that had been among several toys that Bruce had supplied him when he arrived.

Alfred looked up from the paper he was reading and watched the little boy seated not far from his feet. It appeared that Jason was in thought over something and from the expression on the little boys soft features, the kind butler could tell that Jason was worried. Setting his paper aside he addressed the tyke. "Is anything the matter, Master Jason?"

A sigh escaped his lips before Jason left his truck behind and walked over to Alfred. "Do you know what a baby does?" Petey's brother Douglas was a baby but by the time Jason met him Douglas was already able to walk and say a few words, and the Jason was pretty sure that small babies couldn't do all of that.

"A new baby can't do very much at all, Master Jason. Most new babies sleep a great deal of the time, but they do grow up fast and once that happens the fun will start." Alfred chuckled as Jason furrowed his brows. "Not to worry, young Mr. Kent, your mum and your dad will have enough love in them for both of you."

"Alfred, why does Bruce go into the room with the Piano and not come out?" Jason suddenly looked down at his padded feet realizing that he had just slipped up in a big way. This morning after his dad left, he had managed to sneak back to that room and saw Bruce go in but waited and waited until Alfred found him.

Remembering finding Jason near the back room, Alfred had been told by the young boy that he had been playing hide and seek, but he knew better. "Jason there are some things that are not mine to tell," Alfred said.

Too smart for his own age, Jason looked at Alfred as a light seemed to go off somewhere in the recess of his brain. "He has a secret like my daddy," Jason said, his eyes growing nearly as large as saucers.

Now Alfred was in a bind. "Not at all, he has a phone in that room and there are times, Master Jason, when he likes to go in there to take his calls," Alfred claimed, though he could tell that Jason wasn't going to buy into it. "Now why don't you and I find something for you to wear today," Alfred said as he stood up. At some point he would have to wake Bruce and let him know that their young guest was putting things together.

* * *

Arguing with Perry over a story went with her work like the sun and the moon. Lois had done a phone interview with one of Gertrude Vanderworth's great nieces and felt she had a story worth printing, but her boss had other ideas. "Perry I know this is old news but this could turn out to be much bigger than anyone thinks. What happened to trusting my instincts?"

"Lois we covered the Vanderworth's and there wasn't any more news. Yes, Lex Luthor managed to swindle the Vanderworth's out of their fortune, but that is already out in print. What we need is something deeper, like what he is doing with that money and why he hasn't made any more attempts to try to take over the world."

His words hit close to home and Lois suddenly backed up and sat down looking at her feet. In a heartbeat her boss was at her side.

"Lois what is it your not saying? Has that mad man threatened you?" Perry couldn't see her face but he could tell by body language that this was hitting very close to home for her. "If he is, don't you think printing something would ruffle his feathers and cause you more problems?" His voice was soft and gentle and it was a side of Perry few people at work ever saw in him.

There was no way she could tell him the truth about her son or what Lex had done to him, and she knew she would have to back down on this. "I guess I'm just thinking about what happened on the yacht, what he was doing. He's likely planning something on a grander scale but I can't risk my life or that of my son's."

Perry was certain that there was more to it than that, but he also knew when to back off. "Look, why don't you get Jimmy and see if you can get anything else out of the DA." When she looked at him again he saw that flare in her eyes and watched her as she walked out of his office. Once she was gone, he picked up his phone and made a call down to the station. "Get me Officer Martinez," Perry demanded. If Lois was in danger, he wanted an officer to look out for her even if she'd chew him out for it if she found out.

* * *

After Alfred helped him get dressed, Jason wanted to be alone. He sat on the floor pushing his smaller matchbox cars around on the floor wondering if Bruce was from another world like his daddy. When he thought about his daddy he started to miss him and he stood up and walked over to the large bay window. He then heard a soft tap on his door but Jason didn't say anything. He saw the door open in the reflection in the window. Bruce was there but Jason wasn't sure if it was a good idea to let him know he had been snooping again.

As Bruce woke up from his much needed sleep after fighting crime most of the night in the city, Alfred had informed him about Jason's 'curiosity', as he had put it, and now Bruce wondered what the best course of action would be. He moved into the room quietly and sat down on the bed waiting to see if Jason would acknowledge him.

"Are you from a different planet like my daddy?" Jason finally asked as he turned from the window and walked over to the bed. With Bruce's help he climbed up and sat down next to the man looking at him expecting an answer of some sort.

Bruce was again amazed by how smart this child was and wondered if it had to do with his Kryptonian heritage. "No Jason I was born here in this city and I've always lived here. I wanted to talk to you about what you told Alfred."

"You have a secret but you won't tell me because I told Rebecca bout my daddy and you think I'll tell about you if you say anything," Jason declared.

"Jason, you shouldn't have to worry about keeping secrets, but because of who you are you have a mighty big responsibility to keep that one big one. I do have certain aspects of my life that no one knows about… well almost no one. I don't want you to worry about me and it isn't because I am afraid of you telling. I don't want you to be sad or feel lonely because you have to keep my secret along with your father's."

Bruce could tell Jason felt more cast out and hated that. This was the reason he was glad in a way that Rachel had seen what he had not been willing to see at first: that Bruce Wayne was still gone and that the face that mattered was Batman. Clark had acted on what ever it was that he had and that resulted in all of this. Now this little boy had more set on his small shoulders than any kid should have to deal with.

"One day when I get big like my daddy and like you I will have to keep my secret, too. I will be like daddy but I may not be because the bad man wants me to die and go live with my other daddy and I want to stay here with my mommy," Jason said as his lips drew down and he shut his eyes in effort not to cry again. In a moment he felt himself held in strong arms though he knew it wasn't his daddy, and then they were going someplace.

"Jason, keep your eyes closed very tight," Bruce said. He wasn't going to tell Jason about Batman but he would let him see the cave hoping that it would cheer this little guy up. He passed Alfred on the way and asked that Clark be informed of where they were and went there so that the three of them could talk.

There was the sound of two keys being played on the broken Piano and Jason wanted to look but he kept his face pressed up against Bruce's chest. There was a lot of noise and it was a little cooler where they went but Jason still kept his eyes closed. "Where are we going?"

"You will see," Bruce answered as the elevator which had been restored took them down into the cave. His cave had changed greatly since the days after The League of Shadows tried to bring Gotham down, but there were still parts of it that he could take Jason to which would not reveal the secret. "Now open your eyes."

Jason opened his eyes, finding it much darker than his room. He could hear noises and when he looked up and saw the ceiling moving he hid his face against Bruce's neck uncertain about all of this.

"Do not be afraid, those are bats Jason and this is a cave. They won't hurt you or me." Bruce waited and in a moment Jason looked around seeing the waterfall and the stream flowing away from it.

It was like magic, like Merlin and King Author from the books his Nanna had read to him before his other daddy came back to them. "Is this your secret?" Jason asked looking around and then smiled as he saw his daddy coming close.

When Clark was within reach Bruce gave Jason over to his father. "Not all of it but some," replied Bruce.

For a few moments all of them were quiet and then Clark shifted Jason so that they could see one another. "Jason, this place is very important to Bruce and I want you to promise me that you will stay in the parts of the house where you are allowed to be."

Jason sighed and looked away from his daddy yawning in the process. "I promise but Bruce has a secret like you do and I won't tell anyone if you tell me."

"We're not telling you that secret yet. When he feels that you are old enough and if he decides that he wants to, then he'll tell you. Until then, I want you to forget about this. Do you understand me?" Clark hated being this firm with Jason but it was very necessary.

"Will you and mommy spank me if I sneak around again?"

Clark answered yes without a second thought and Jason hugged him close. The two men briefly looked at one another and then headed back to the house, hoping that this would be the last of Jason's investigative exploration.

* * *

When Lois arrived home much later that evening, Jason was permitted to tell her about the cave and told her that he was not allowed to sneak around anymore. "Daddy told me you and he would spank me if I did that and I don't want one," Jason admitted while he sat on the edge of his mommy's bed as she got dressed in comfortable clothing.

"He is right Jason, and I should give you one for doing that again, but I'm willing to let you have another chance," Lois replied as she finished getting changed. Jason's sneaking around, while a very serious matter, also meant that he was getting well. At times Lois wondered why they were still here, but she knew that he had no immunity to germs and the special venting units that they had installed a few days after they arrived filtered out most of the allergens and germs. When she looked over at her son she could tell he was sad and before he could blink Lois was there tickling him, preferring to hear his laughter instead of his cries. Once Jason was asking her to stop, Lois gathered him in her arms and they snuggled back against the pillows watching a little TV while they waited for Clark to come home.

* * *

**AN:** _This idea of having Jason figure out about Bruce, or at least that Bruce has a secret is credited to one of my readers. I like the idea that he knows something is up, but with all that he is going through Bruce's decision to wait seemed a better deal. As usual thanks to those of you who read this and stick with me and big thanks to Beeto for another fantabulous Beta read._


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 19: Home Sweet Home**

A few weeks passed by and Jason was doing so well that Fox and Dr. Sanderson both agreed to allow him to go back home as long as the same rules were followed. Jason would not be allowed to see anyone aside from his parents or his grandparents, and if at any time he got even one tiny sniffle they would have to bring him back. Both of them also agreed that having Lucky around was a risk and so Superman had flown her to Lucy's though Jason was not yet aware of that as the family made their way home in the Audi.

While his parents talked in the front of the car, Jason was content to watch his DVD of Monsters Inc. It was already early August and while most kids his age would be getting ready to go to school, Jason would not be able to go back until after the baby was born sometime in February or March. The movie he was watching was one of his favorites, but all of the driving was making him sleepy and before too long his eyes closed and the movie played on without anyone there to watch the rest.

An hour and a half after leaving Bruce's house, Clark pulled the car into the drive way behind his red truck and the rental car his parents had been using while staying there. In the front yard were the huge boxes left from the new A/C heating unit that had been installed with the same sort of filters that were used at Wayne Manor. Clark scanned the areas around the house and neighborhood after getting out of the car making sure that nothing was amiss.

While Clark tended to their son, Lois started to unload their luggage before Martha and Ben came out of the house and insisted the she only take the lighter items which she tolerated because she knew they cared. It was good to be home and when Lois walked inside she was amazed at how clean it was. She looked around, sure that there was not one spec of dust in the house as she took the few bags they allowed her to carry to the master bedroom. Their room was just as clean and suddenly seemed so small after being at Wayne Manor, but Lois didn't mind. This was truly their home and she was glad to be back.

Across the hall, Clark laid Jason down in his bed and pulled the clean sheets over his son which he noticed were new. Many of Jason's old toys were missing and after he left the room he went down the hall and found his mom in the kitchen. "Mom, where are Jason's toys, the ones that were here when we left?" Clark asked.

Martha had just made a fresh pot of decaf and poured out a cup for Ben. "When he was sick I was worried that those germs might still be on them, so I bagged them up. I put them out in the storage shed for when he is better, but I was afraid that any of his old things might make him sick again.

Clark understood that and walked to her drawing her into his arms for a hug. "Thank you for taking care of things while we were away," he said.

"That is what families do, now what can I make the two of you to eat?" asked Martha, ready to be of service in any way she could.

Knowing that his mom wanted to help, Clark told her anything she chose would be fine by him. As he began to help set out dishes and utensils on the round oak kitchen table his hearing picked up something that instantly sent him back to the master bedroom. There he found Lois in their bathroom hunched over the toilet.

The moment she felt his hand on her back Lois shut her eyes and then gagged as more of her breakfast spilled out into the toilet. She felt shaky and weak and wanted to tell Clark to go away but couldn't find the words. "I…I'm okay now," she lied as she lifted her head and then again she was getting sick.

Clark waited until she tried to stand up and gently wrapped his arms around her as she managed to get on her feet. He guided her to the sink and reached out his left hand turning on the water for her as he felt her body begin to shake.

Lois took her hand even as it shook and held it under the water. She took a drink of water and swished it in her mouth before she spit it out nearly gagging at the terrible taste. When Clark turned the water off she leaned back against him and shut her eyes. A moment later she found herself cradled in his arms and kept her eyes shut as he carried her to their bed.

Gently Clark laid Lois down on their bed and left her momentarily. When he returned he had a wet wash cloth which he draped over her forehead.

"Thank you," she managed, still keeping her eyes closed.

"You don't have to thank me," came his whispered reply as he leaned in and kissed her lips. As he rose up he placed his hand on her right cheek cupping it there until she went to sleep.

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When Jason woke up the first thing he did was search for Lucky. In the family room he found his Granny and Pappa reading their books and his daddy was on the phone, so Jason passed them by and went into the kitchen. It was dreary outside and he couldn't tell if Lucky was in her dog house so he opened the door. "Lucky come inside now," he called out, waiting for her to come.

Martha was reading her book in the family room when she heard her grandson calling for his puppy. She knew that Clark was on the phone with Lois's doctor and was otherwise occupied with the conversation about Lois's condition. Both she and Ben were aware of the pregnancy and were excited about having another grandchild to spoil. Realizing that Clark needed to focus on what the doctor was saying Martha set her book aside, and went to the Kitchen to take care of Jason.

"Granny, Lucky won't come in the house," Jason told Martha, as he turned around to face her.

Martha knelt down and reached out for him and in a moment her little grandson was in her arms. "Jason, your doctors were very worried that Lucky might make you sick so she went to stay with you Aunt Lucy for a while. Suddenly Jason pulled out of her arms, and Martha stood as he ran into the family room.

Jason knew not to interrupt when his mommy or daddy was on the phone, but this was important. "Daddy I need the phone now," he said tugging at Clark's hand.

Clark shook his head and held his finger to his lips as Dr. Sanderson was finally able to answer his call. He had to call her office and had been waiting for a while for her to answer.

"I need to call Aunt Lucy, Daddy," Jason said not willing to be pushed aside. To him, getting his dog back was very important.

Knowing that Clark needed to talk to the doctor, Martha came over to try and help out. "Jason I'm sure once your daddy finishes his conversation he will be happy to let you phone your aunt, but right now he needs to listen to what is being said to him."

Jason pursed his lips. "I don't care! I need to get my dog!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry do you mind if I call you back," Clark said not willing to let what his son just did go unpunished. Once the doctor agreed Clark shut the phone off and in a very quick moment he had his son tucked under one arm as he carried him into the kitchen. Clark pulled out the time out chair and brought it to a corner before he put Jason down. "You stay there," he said in a deep firm tone.

Jason balled up his hands into tight fists and took in a deep breath not understanding why they wouldn't listen to him. He looked behind him seeing that his dad was back in the other room and when he heard him talking on the phone again Jason slipped out of his chair and ran for the sliding door. He got it open and was almost outside when he was back in those same strong arms. "I don't want time out let go of me! Let go!" he screamed.

As Jason screamed and struggled in his arms, Clark knew he had to get control of the situation quickly. Lois was trying to sleep and Jason knew better than to act this way. He put Jason down and while maintaining very careful control over his strength Clark gave his son two stinging swats on his back side. The screaming and the struggling stopped instantly and then Jason began to cry. "That is quite enough Jason," Clark said as he lifted Jason up and gently put him back in time out. "You stay right there young man." He left Jason in the chair and walked outside. He had never thought he would spank his son, or punish him in that manor but with Lois feeling sick he knew he had to do something, and as he heard Jason cry he felt more guilty that he had sought to punish him that way too hastily.

While the swats had stung, what hurt Jason most was the fact that his daddy had swatted him. He tried to stop crying and covered his hands over his face as his breathing became labored. As his lungs began to burn his daddy was there placing his inhaler in his hands.

Clark got Jason to take a puff from his inhaler and then lifted him off the chair and held on to him. "Shhh," Clark said as Jason cried against his shoulder. As his son began to calm down, Clark gently rocked him. "Jason, I know you miss Lucky and you will get to see her again but right now we have to be very careful to keep you from getting sick." Clark said as his son held on around his neck and continued to sniff.

"I want mommy," Jason whispered as he lifted his head away from Clark's shoulder.

Without a word Clark stood up and carried Jason to their room. He knew Lois was awake and when he walked in she attempted to sit up in bed but then stayed where she was as Clark leaned in and laid Jason next to her before he sat down on the edge of the mattress.

"Daddy spanked me," Jason said before he started to cry again.

"I think he did that because you were yelling," she replied not willing to give Jason any sympathy for that. His yelling is what woke her up and she held him closer as he continued to cry. It was obvious that her little boy needed more rest and after a few minutes he quieted and fell asleep in her arms.

"I'm sorry I did that," Clark whispered.

Lois shook her head. "I would have done the same. He knows better Clark," she replied.

"How do you feel?"

Lois shut her eyes and sighed. "I feel exhausted. I never had morning sickness with Jason, and I'm guessing that is why I got sick." When Clark confessed to calling doctor Sanderson Lois smiled at him reaching out with her free hand to take his. "I promise I'm not going to break," she offered getting a smile from him a moment before he leaned over and kissed her lips. When he pulled away Lois shut her eyes again. "Rest with us," she said. Lois was resting on her right side with Jason spooned against her on his left. A moment later Clark was there behind her and she felt safe as his arms wrapped around both she and Jason, safe enough that she soon joined her son in sleep.

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When Lois woke up again she was the only one in the room. Slowly she took in a deep breath and then let it out, and as she was about to get up the door opened and Clark was there. "I wondered if you heard me," she said as he came over to the side of the bed. With his help she sat up and let him steady her. "I think I might like to try some soup," she told him, as she allowed him to prop a few pillows behind her. Once Lois was settled Clark placed his hand over her tummy and rubbed there. The natural warmth from his hand eased the slight queasiness she was feeling, and Lois was glad he cared so much.

"I'll bring you some soup," said Clark, as he leaned in and kissed her. This time he lingered there for a moment caressing her lips with his own before he pulled away. "I love you." He leaned in and gave her one more kiss before he turned to leave finding Jason waiting at the door. "You can come in." Since he had woken up from his nap nearly two hours long, Jason had been in a very good temperament and had not brought up his previous punishment, though Clark was sure he wanted time to talk about it with his mommy.

With his daddy gone, Jason ran to the end of the bed and after a few tries he climbed on and crawled up the bed until he was resting in her arms again. "I'm mad at my daddy," Jason huffed.

Lois reached out and moved a strand of hair out of his face, thinking to herself that it was time for Granny to give it another cut. "Are you made because he swatted you?" Jason gave one nod of his head in response and Lois could tell that while his swats had likely not hurt him on a physical aspect they had hurt him on a more emotional level. "Did he explain to you why he did that?" When Jason shook his head Lois leaned over to the right and kissed his forehead. "I don't think that is the truth," said Lois gently prodding him to talk about what he was feeling.

"I wanted to call Aunt Lucy because I want Lucky with me. Daddy was on the phone and I told him I needed it but he wouldn't listen to me and then he made me sit in time out."

Lois wiped the tears from his cheeks, patiently waiting for him to go on, but when he did not she began. "Did you interrupt your daddy when he was on the phone?"

Jason dropped his eyes from her face and in a moment her finger was under his chin guiding his gaze back to her face. "I wanted my dog," Jason said feeling really sad.

Lois leaned back against the pillows lifting Jason a little until his head rested against the right side of her chest. "You interrupted daddy when he was trying to make a phone call to the doctor and when he wouldn't talk to you your Granny tried to help you. When you were rude daddy had to end his call and put you in time out," Lois relayed.

His mommy told him what he already knew and didn't want to hear and Jason fought not to cry. He hated everything that was happening to him and he wanted to yell at someone but yelling was naughty and that just made all of it much worse.

By the time Clark arrived with dinner for Lois, Jason was once again asleep in her arms. He had not realized that their son was still upset about his punishment and felt guilty for being otherwise occupied with worrying about Lois and the baby. "Do you want me to put him to bed?"

"I think so. He's had a long day," she whispered. While Lois took the tray with her soup and some soda crackers, Clark left with Jason. The soup was wonderful and Lois managed to finish off every last drop without feeling sick to her stomach. She was still munching on Crackers when Clark came back. "Did your mom make this?" asked Lois.

"While we were gone," he replied as he moved over to his side of the bed. He sat down next to her and shared some of the crackers that were left over. There wasn't much conversation but there didn't need to be; the two of them were comfortable just to be together without the worry of what to talk about.

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The next morning Lois was still feeling sick, and had hoped that it was just a one time deal. Clark and Jason brought her breakfast in bed and she could tell that father and son were back to being friends again. Now as she sat in the bed eating some dried toast, Jason was next to her coloring a picture.

"Mommy if the baby is making you feel yucky why don't you just go to the hospital and tell the doctors to take it out?" he asked not knowing that it was much more complex than that.

Lois managed to swallow her toast and then looked over at her little boy. "This baby isn't ready to be born quite yet, and I should start feeling better very soon," Lois reassured, smiling as he got back to his coloring. Jason had woken up a few times last night crying though he was not awake enough to tell them what was wrong. Becky, the nurse who had been taking care of Jason, agreed to stop by today and have a look at him, and Lois hoped that he wasn't getting sick again.

"Mommy what do babies like to eat? Granny says they don't have any teeth when they are born so how do we make sure that this baby can eat?" asked Jason as he finished drawing the outline of his dragon. He was still interested in them and had several pages taped up around his room and on the fridge in the kitchen.

Lois had eaten all she could and set the tray to the side. "Your Granny was right about a baby not having any teeth. When they are first born, babies drink milk, either formula from a bottle or they drink milk from their mommy."

Jason looked at his mommy. "Like the zebra on Animal Planet does?" he asked causing his mommy to smile at him before she hugged him close.

"Sort of like that but our baby won't be able to stand up or walk until after he or she is a year old or maybe before like you did." Lois looked at the picture her son was drawing and had always been amazed that at his young age he could draw things with such depth and detail. "So what are you going to call this dragon?"

"I was thinking maybe Lou. He lives in the rain forest in South America but in a secret place where no one can find him," Jason informed as he took a red crown and began to give color to his new dragon.

While her son focused on giving life to his dragon, Lois reached over on her bedside table and pulled the laptop in front of her. With one click of a button the computer came to life and once it had powered up Lois clicked on the Icon for The Daily Planet and accessed her email account to see what had been happening in her absence. The first email she came to read urgent and when she opened it up Clark entered the room. Lois read what it said before looking over at the man she loved. "They found a bag of bullet casings?" she asked hardly believing it.

"Perry wants another exclusive," he replied. In a blur of color he changed into the famous suit and then he was at her side. Lois lifted her head and the two of them shared a kiss before Superman leaned over the bed to give Jason a kiss. When he was gone Lois put her computer aside and took a deep breath before she moved the breakfast tray out of the way and managed to get on her feet. She still felt sick but she wanted to see the news.

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A grin as wide as the one given by the Cheshire Cat spread across Lex Luthor's face while he watched the broadcast of the DA being escorted out of the city building. His plan had gone over wonderfully and now he could again focus on his goal. Duncan had informed him that they were getting closer to finding a way to mutate the strain that had been introduced into the child into a form that would be lethal to Superman. Lex was so giddy about what he was seeing on TV that he decided to let Duncan live even though the man had failed a few times to impress him. Yes very soon Lex would be able to put into action the grand plan, and as his smile faded he looked at the desk in front of him at the plans he had for refurbishing the Eastside Docks.

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No reporter was allowed in to see the DA, though when Clark Kent arrived at the main precinct Sergeant Esperanza greeted him with a hand shake. "Right this way Mr. Kent," the burly man said as he led Clark into the holding area.

The holding area smelled of cigarette smoke and dirty sweaty bodies. The building was at least 50 years old and Clark could tell that the funding to refurbish such places was low just by the sounds only he could hear and what only his enhanced vision showed him. He was led into a meeting room though this one was private and in that room sat the DA who looked confused and more than a little annoyed. Clark took a seat across the table from DA Albert Zachariah, a man he believed to be innocent even with the incriminating evidence found in a file in his office.

Albert looked across the table at Clark Kent feeling defeated. "I'm not sure how all of this happened," he admitted.

"I have my ideas, can you tell me about the time before you left yesterday? Was there anyone in the building that may have aided in this?" Asked Clark as he took out his mini tape player.

Albert closed his eyes trying to remember everything before he was arrested from his high rise apartment only a few blocks away from the City Building where his office was located. "I had everything finished so I came home a few hours early, ready to relax. There wasn't anyone in the building that wasn't a part of my staff, and the people who were working on some up coming trials. How could this have happened?"

Clark wanted to say something about Lex Luthor but right now was not the time. He knew if this was Luthor there might be someone here looking out for the man and if he was going to catch the man as Superman who he wanted to kill, Clark knew he had to be patient. "I'm not sure, but maybe we can try and figure that out." Clark shut off his recorder realizing that right now there wasn't much of a story.

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Jason hid under his bed with a blanket covering him. As soon as he heard Becky's voice he knew that she was going to poke him and he didn't want that to happen. He had been having fun jumping on his bed even though he knew better and his Granny had played hide and seek with him earlier. As Jason felt the urge to sneeze he heard his mommy calling for him and held his nose.

"Jason, are you in here?" Lois asked realizing that her son was aware of Becky's presence in their home. She knew her little boy hated having doctors and nurses looking at him, but after last night they needed to make sure nothing was going on in his little body. Knowing Jason's favorite hiding spot, Lois walked over to the bed and knelt down. "Jason, all Becky wants to do is to listen to your breathing and have a look at you. She won't give you a shot or make you hurt," Lois tried. As his mother she hated this too, because lately there had been very few things that made her little boy smile and it was hard to see him always upset.

"I want daddy," Jason sobbed knowing that there was no way out of this. He felt his mommy's hand touch his back even through the blanket and at that moment all he wanted was for her to hold him. Jason crawled out from under the bed and in a moment he had all he wanted as Lois held him in her arms.

"Shhh, this won't take long and when Becky finishes we can watch a movie with Granny and Pappa and I'll make you some popcorn. How does that sound?" Lois felt Jason shake his head and shut her eyes as she gently rocked him while sitting on the floor. She didn't feel good either but right now all that mattered was trying to comfort her little boy.

Becky chose that moment to enter the small room and knelt down beside mother and child. "Jason would you like to hear my heart beat first?" she asked hoping to avoid upsetting him anymore than he already was.

"No, I want my daddy," he managed as he cried harder.

Lois kissed his left cheek and rubbed her hand over his back in the process lifting his shirt so that Becky could try to listen.

Jason tensed up as he felt her press the stethoscope against his back and continued to cry, not noticing that the very person he wanted had entered the room. When he heard his father's voice Jason went willingly into his arms, and just cried as Becky listened to his chest and then looked in his ears and his nose. When it was finally over, his mommy left with Becky, while Jason finally began to calm down.

Coming home to find Jason so upset was not easy and Clark wanted more than ever to find Luthor and make him pay for what he had done. The man had taken away Jason's happiness and that alone was worth the full wrath that Superman could muster. He wasn't used to feeling this way, and as Jason began to relax in his arms Clark pushed Luthor out of his mind. "Did you finish drawing that picture you were working on when I left?" Clark asked in hopes of cheering his son up. He felt Jason nod his head against his shoulder and stood up carrying his little boy across the hall to the room he and Lois shared. On their bed he found the picture and sat down as Jason turned to see his drawing.

"His name is Lou," Jason said as he sniffed, letting his daddy wipe away his tears. "He lives in the rain forest in South America, but in a secret place where no one can find him. He is the last dragon around because all of the other dragons got too old and died away."

Hearing his son's little story including the death of the dragons made Clark realize again just how smart his child was. At one point, a long time ago, he had wanted to take Lois and Jason to the Fortress of Solitude so that his parents could meet them, but after realizing that those images were not willing to help save his son Clark had forgotten about that until just now. Yes those images were holographs, just memories of who his parents had once been, but Clark always felt that there was more to it than all of that. Somehow over the expanse of the galaxy and over the thousands of years that they had perished with Krypton those holographs were more than images of his lost parents, and while Lex Luthor may have been able to infiltrate the fortress and steel the crystals, it was only in his presence that they seemed to live again.

"Daddy, mommy said we could all watch a movie and have popcorn. I want to watch Mary Poppins," Jason informed as he reached up and put a hand on his fathers left cheek. He laughed when his daddy nibbled at his hand and then hugged him close.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Once Jason was settled with his grandparents in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn and a smile on his face, Lois led Clark into the kitchen. "Becky couldn't hear anything wrong with him but she wants to come back tomorrow and draw some blood. She says that he may just be really tired, and that the pneumonia can take a while for him to get over."

The worry etched in her voice was evident and Clark pulled her into his arms. "She may have a point," he said as he felt her tremble in his arms realizing that she was still not feeling good. "Do you want to go lay down?" he asked as he felt her head nod. He knew she hated this because Lois liked being on the go. As they passed through the den Jason didn't even seem to notice them as he munched on popcorn while pointing out the things he liked most about his movie to his grandparents.

Once she was resting in their bed Lois grumbled about feeling so miserable. "What is so different about this baby?" she asked as Clark walked over to his side of the bed. In a moment he was in bed with her and she was resting in his arms. "I don't intend to stay in bed through this pregnancy," she said more to her belly than to anyone else. A smile spread over her face as Clark moved his hand on the area of her belly right below her belly button and as it had the last time the warm presence of his touch seemed to calm down the queasiness she was feeling.

After a moment Clark moved his hand away and put his arms around her as she snuggled further on his chest with her head resting right below his chin. "We have all had quite a bit to deal with, it may be that more so than anything else," he said, though he was no doctor, and this was his first time being around Lois while she was carrying their child within her.

"I sure hope it is," she mumbled as she let her eyes close.

The sure steady pattern of her breathing let Clark know that Lois was asleep and for a while longer he stayed where he was, while listening for the movie to end in the other room. It was early evening but after the movie Jason would be taking a bath and after he ate a healthy dinner, he would be going to bed. Clark didn't want his mom and Ben to have to deal with the inevitable fight that would be on their hands and when he heard the music that started to play at the end of Mary Poppins with the Lyrics of _'Lets go fly a Kite," _He carefully got out of bed ready to take care of his little boy.

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**AN:** _My thanks goes out to all of you have have read this as well as my other story and have stuck with me thus far. Thanks also again goes to Beeto for the super job of being my Beta reader_.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 20: Complications**

The sounds of water splashing and a child's laughter coming from the small bathroom just off the main hallway greeted Lois as she arrived home from work without Clark. She was still suffering from morning sickness but with Dr. Sanderson's help and a slight change in her diet she had been able to make those occasions more bearable. As she approached the bathroom Martha stepped out of Jason's room just beyond with clean pajamas in hand. "It sounds like he is having a wonderful time," Lois said, glad to hear her munchkin so happy.

Martha smiled at her daughter-in-law, but noticed that her son was not with her. "Yes I managed to get him to hold still long enough to get his hair cut again. It is not as short as the last time because Jason wanted it just a little longer," she informed. "Did Clark have a call?" she asked referring to his other job.

"Yes he heard a report right when we started on our way about another body showing up at the pier, so he is off to handle that," Lois replied unable to stifle a yawn.

It was obvious that she was tired so Martha sent her on her way promising to send Jason in to her once he was out of the bath and dressed for bed. Once Lois was gone, Martha knocked on the door before she entered finding that most of the floor was quite wet. "I do believe that is enough splashing," Martha said as she walked carefully over to the tub.

"There is a storm at sea Granny and the boat sank below the water. I have to save them now," he told her a moment before he took a breath and put his face under water. A second later he lifted his head out of the water and had the ship in his hands as he gasped for air, in the process coughing which alerted Martha that it was well past time to get her grandson out of the tub.

"I know you love playing with your toys, but you are as wrinkled as a prune and it is time for you to get out. Your mommy is home," Martha added.

With his granny, Jason knew the tricks of the trade and drew his lips down into a sad pout. "But I'm not done playing," he replied unhappily.

Martha already had a towel in her hands and helped Jason stand up. "I know you love your bath time and you can have one tomorrow if you would like, but right now it is time for me to get you all dried off," Martha explained gently as she helped him step out of the water. Once his feet were touching the wet surface of the bathroom floor, Martha pulled the soft yellow towel around Jason before escorting him toward his room.

"May I see mommy?" he asked hesitating between rooms.

"I think she may be taking a shower," Martha responded as she thought she heard the water running. She guided her reluctant grandson into his bedroom and sat on his bed drying him off thoroughly, or as thoroughly as she could with him squirming and whining. Once Martha had his pajamas on him she allowed him to go check and see if his mom was ready for company and headed back to his bathroom to mop up the water on the very wet floor.

* * *

A half hour later, Clark arrived home after looking for further evidence with the body found by the east side docks. Once again it was badly decomposed and this time, after making a call to Bruce Wayne, the body was being taken to a secure undisclosed facility to see if anyone could identify it. He said a brief hello to his mom promising her he would eat the left over she had put in the microwave and after getting a super fast shower, Clark approached his son's room wearing a very comfortable pair of blue jeans and an old shirt. He knocked on the door and then opened it finding Lois in their little boy's bed watching as Jason held his hand up to hers.

"Daddy!" Jason exclaimed nearly ready to bound over top of Lois to reach him.

Clark made it to the bed quickly and easily lifted Jason over his mom hugging him close. "Did you have a good time with your grandma today?" he asked as Jason still clung to him. He felt his son's head nod and gave him a gentle squeeze.

"My hands are small, but Mommy said that when I was born they wouldn't even fit around her finger," explained their little boy as he lifted his head away from Clark's shoulder. "Mommy said that the baby will have hands that are small too."

Again Clark was grateful that Jason wasn't showing any signs of being jealous but both he and Lois were prepared if that were to occur. "Alright, I think maybe it is time for you to go to sleep," Clark said as Lois got up out of their son's bed. When she was out of the bed, he leaned over and laid their little boy down on the mattress kissing cheeks, his nose, and then his lips before he straightened up pulling the covers over their son's boy's body.

"When will Lucky come home daddy?" Jason still missed her terribly.

Again Clark gave the little guy a kiss, knowing that he wanted that more than anything else. "Not until you are better," he answered. When Jason sniffed Clark hugged him again and then moved aside letting Lois hug and kiss him before they left him for the night.

When his mommy hugged him Jason held on for a moment and then let go finding his stuffed Trampster dog which he hugged in her place. "Night mommy, night daddy, love you," he said as he rolled on his left side.

"I love you too munchkin," Lois replied before she turned to face the man she loved. Once Clark said goodnight to Jason they both headed for their room, and once their door was shut Lois immediately asked him about the body. "What if it is taken like the others?" she asked as she walked over to the bed and sat down.

Clark walked over to his side of the bed and settled in next to Lois before telling her about Bruce. "He agreed with me that the body should be kept someplace safe away from the public eye," he told her as she leaned into his warm embrace.

"I still think Lex Luthor has something to do with all of this," Lois said to him as a yawn escaped her lips. After yawning, she turned over and slid down until the front half of her body was resting against his chest with her head resting just over his heart. She had no energy of late and that bothered her because there was a lot to be done trying to help the DA out of the bind he was in.

Once she was resting against him, Clark brought his arms around Lois and leaned in kissing the top of her head. "I agree with you about him, but he's still managing to keep hidden. Where ever he is has to be lead lined," he told her, already feeling her steady breathing. He held on to the woman he loved as he leaned over her to shut off her light and then settled back against his pillow content to hold her, hoping that nothing would call him away.

0000

Morning seemed to come too fast and when Lois' alarm woke her, she knew that Clark was gone. She sat up slowly as she felt the usual morning nausea. Pushing that aside, she got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. As she stood at the sink she noticed more moisture than normal in her panties and when she moved them down she realized why. "Oh god," Lois said as she ran back into the room. She got a clean pair of underwear and a long pad and put that on before she got dressed and ran out of her room into the family room. Lois had to fight not to cry as she dialed Dr. Sanderson's office and when she got a hold of the nurse she told them that she was bleeding. "No it's not spotting its heavy," she sobbed, wanting Clark to come home now. As hard as it was Lois knew she had to pull it together, and when she got off the phone she saw Martha come out of her room and rush to her side. "I need you or Ben to drive me to the hospital," she managed.

Martha made sure Lois rested and went back to the room she and Ben had been using to wake him up. Once he was awake, she got dressed and helped Lois out to her car. The drive to the hospital seemed longer than usual and Lois didn't utter a word which worried Martha. She had hoped that Clark would be there when they arrived but she ended up helping Lois out of the car and walked her into the emergency room without him.

* * *

A bombing in a resort just outside of London England had called Superman away from the people he loved and as he helped find survivors his mind kept going back to Lex Luthor. He knew they needed to find that mad man before he could do anything else to hurt his family but with Jason in such a fragile state, and now Lois being pregnant, any sort of investigation had to be done very carefully to keep his family safe. After making sure that everyone was being treated and taken care of, Superman went the extra mile and began a fly around of the city unaware of what was happening to Lois back home.

Settled in a hospital bed, Lois waited for Dr. Sanderson to arrive. She was still bleeding but not as much, and more than anything she was terrified. All this time she had tried to tell herself that she couldn't love another child. Lois had denied her love for the child she was carrying because she was afraid of losing Jason, and had convinced herself that this child would not take his place. She looked to her left as the door opened and Dr. Sanderson arrived.

"Lois we need to get you to one of the ultrasound rooms," said Dr. Sanderson noticing that Clark was not there, though that was not a surprise since the news was covering Superman's efforts in England, helping people out of a resort that had exploded.

"Is this normal?" Lois asked. Having only been pregnant once she didn't know what was normal and what was not but the concerned look in Dr. Sanderson's eyes told her that it was not.

"We are going to wheel the bed with you in it," said the doctor replied and at that time two nurses arrived to take her down to radiology, where the ultrasound devise was located.

* * *

After spending an hour trying to find any sign of who let off the bomb, Superman flew high above the earth and headed for the _Planet_ still unaware of what was going on with Lois. It didn't take him long to arrive above the continents of North and South America and as he began to descend into the atmosphere he heard his mom's voice asking where he was. Superman focused on her for a moment and then Lois hearing her elevated heart beat, realizing that she was not home or at work. Hovering high above the city he focused in on her heartbeat and when he realized she was at the hospital he flew at speeds too fast to be seen, landing on top of the building where he changed into the suit he had put on before he left for England.

Clark followed his mother's heart beat to a hospital room and found her pacing the area. "Mom?"

"Oh Clark, thank goodness. Lois found that she was bleeding, they are running an ultrasound on her now." Martha watched as he left the room and was relieved that he had finally arrived. She sat down in one of the chairs and began to pray for both Lois and her unborn grandchild.

Again, Clark honed in on Lois's heart beat and then focused on the much faster beating heart which let him know that for now that the baby was safe. When he arrived at radiology he had to wait but only for a moment before a nurse led him back to the room where Lois was getting ready to have her ultrasound. As he arrived he found Lois already lying on the exam table and he could tell by the beat of her heart and the look in her eyes that she was terrified. Quickly Clark crossed the room to her side and leaned in kissing her lightly on the lips. "I'm right here," he whispered as he took her hand.

Lois grasped his hand afraid that if she let go she would fall apart. She was feeling nauseated again and shut her eyes as she felt the cold gel being squirted over her belly. When she felt something pressed against her belly she looked over at the monitor and saw her baby, which was a relief for a moment. The technician took measurements and was quiet which worried her. "Is my baby alright?" Lois finally asked hearing her voice shake as she spoke.

"Everything looks fine," replied the technician as he turned off the machine, though he really wouldn't know until more tests were run.

When they were ready, Clark helped Lois sit up and held her as she leaned against him. Once she was ready, he helped her stand up and moved her over to her bed and then held her hand as they headed back for the room where he knew his mom was still waiting.

* * *

Blissfully unaware that anything was wrong, Jason sat underneath the fort that his pappa had helped him build. With him was his dog Trampster, and a stuffed version of Pluto and Mickey Mouse. "Be very careful because the dragon has fire and he might make you into a toasty mouse," Jason told Mickey as he held him close. The small boy lifted the cover and looked around seeing that the Dragon, who he decided was his Pappa, was busy reading a book. "The Dragon is resting Mickey, you stay here with Trampster and Pluto and I will get the yummies."

Jason's fort was in the kitchen and quietly he walked over to the counter, quickly reaching up to the smooth surface where he managed to snatch two chocolate chip cookies before he headed back to his tint.

"Jason I saw that," Ben said as he put his book down.

"They are for Mickey and Pluto, they had a good breakfast Pappa," he said as his pappa entered the kitchen and knelt in front of him. "Open wide," Jason told him and laughed when his pappa took a bite of the cookie.

"Don't you tell your granny we snatched these before we had a good breakfast," Ben said lightly as he hugged Jason. He loved being and Grandfather and it was hard for him to tell his grandson "no." As the two of them sat on the kitchen floor eating their cookies, Ben wondered what was happening with Lois.

* * *

Lois had fallen asleep by the time Dr. Sanderson arrived to see them, and Clark woke her by kissing her lips. Now they both sat and listened as the Doctor told them about the blood clot found on the ultrasound scan.

"It isn't very big, but Lois, you will need to stay on bed rest until your body can pass it or until it is absorbed back into your blood stream."

"How did this happen?" asked Lois still feeling shaky.

"There are any number of possibilities, but the one that seems most likely is that you may have started out with two embryos and at some point within the first three or four weeks one of them stopped developing. "

Hearing that bit of news surprised both of them, but then Lois thought back to her father's side of the family and the two sets of twins there, and she had always heard that it skipped a generation. "How long will I need to be on bed rest?" she asked.

"A couple of weeks to be on the safe side. I want you to stay here over night for observation. If everything is alight in the morning, you can go home."

Once the doctor had gone, Clark took her hand in his, and she shut her eyes in happy relief. "Twins," she managed as she felt the first tears fall down her face. Lois felt his lips on her cheeks kissing her tears away and after a moment she reached out and held on to him. "I was so scared. I kept trying to tell myself that I wouldn't be able to love this child, but now I want to see who this is," she told him feeling so very tired. Then she thought of their little boy and she opened her eyes. "What do we tell Jason?" Lois suddenly realized that he would not be able to see her and knew that it would be hard for him, and again she felt guilty.

"I'll stay with you today and tonight I'll go home and talk to him. I'll get my mom to stay with you if that would be okay with you," Clark said knowing that he would need to stay with Jason.

As much as she hated to be away from Clark and their son, Lois knew that at least one of them had to be there for Jason and agreed to that as she shut her eyes.

* * *

Jason was in his bathtub once again, but this time with Granny sitting on a nearby stool keeping an eye on his splash activity. The little boy had not once asked about his mom, thinking she was at work and was having fun sinking and rescuing his ships. As he went under after taking as deep a breath as he could his daddy entered the room and his granny left. Jason felt around the bottom of the tub until he found a ship and then came up for air scrubbing his eyes with his fist. When he opened them and saw his daddy he went back under before he took a breath and sucked in some water.

Clark lifted Jason out of the bath as he began to cough and wrapped a towel around him when he began to cry because of the water that had gone up his nose.

"I want Granny," Jason sobbed as his daddy held him close.

Clark stood up and carried his son to his room and held him on his lap as he began to dry Jason off.

"When I get bigger," he said through a yawn. "I want to be a fish," he finished holding still as his daddy got him all dried off.

Clark grinned as he reached out and grabbed the top of Jason's Aquaman pajamas. Today it had been unseasonably cool and these pajamas still fit their little boy. "What kind of fish would you like to be?" Clark asked his son as he pulled the pajama top over his son's wet head.

"I think a whale," Jason admitted as he pushed his arms through the sleeves. "Can I go lay in bed with mommy?"

This was the part Clark didn't want to do, but he finished getting his little boy ready for bed before he lifted him up and positioned him on his lap so that they could look at one another. "Jason, your mommy had to go to the hospital today," he said as gently as he could.

"But why?" Jason asked not realizing the seriousness of the situation.

When he flew home, Clark had tried to think of how to tell their son what was wrong and finally decided the simplest explanation would be best. "She was feeling sick today and the doctors need her to stay there to make certain that both she and the baby will feel better."

"I want to go and see her," Jason stated in a very matter of fact manner.

Clark knew he would and hugged him. "You can see her in the morning and we can call her right now if you would like." Suddenly small arms were around his neck and Clark lifted his little boy up holding him close as he heard a few sniffs. He stood up and carried Jason into the family room and after retrieving the piece of paper with Lois's room phone number on it, Clark dialed. When she answered he tried to give the phone to their little boy, but their son wouldn't budge and was still sniffing.

Hearing that her munchkin was upset was not easy for Lois. "Is your mom on her way?" she asked.

"She left when I got here," Clark replied as he stood swaying with Jason still in his arms. "I need to go, but I'll call you once he is in bed." Clark tried one more time to get the munchkin to talk but their little boy still refused so the call was ended.

By the time Clark arrived in Jason's room his little guy was crying and he hated that. "Shhh, mommy will be safe," he whispered as he sat on the edge of the bed gently rocking Jason as he rubbed his back.

"What if the bad man gets her?" Jason asked lifted his head away from his father's shoulder.

"I won't let that happen," Clark promised as he kissed his son's soft cheeks before he laid him down on the bed. He wiped away the rest of his child's tears and before Clark could move his hand away from Jason's cheek; his sad little boy pulled it down, placing it against his chest where he hugged it close. It didn't take long for Jason to fall asleep, and once he was, Clark walked across the hall leaving the doors to both of their rooms open. He sat down on the bed in his room, shutting his eyes where he focused on finding Lois' heart beat among all of the others he could hear. It took longer than he would have liked but when he found it he could tell she was resting. Once he found her heart beat he focused on the baby's, assured that their unborn child was still safe.

* * *

Morning's arrival brought the end of a long night for Clark and Ben. Superman had been needed to help find a young boy lost in the Rocky Mountains during a camping trip with his parents. While he was away, Jason had awoken from a terrible dream convinced that Lois was being hurt by the bad man. Ben had done all he could to comfort the boy but it wasn't enough. When Superman arrived home, his son was screaming while Ben tried to get him to take a puff from his inhaler. Only after Jason was safe in his father's arms did he calm down enough to do what he needed. After that ordeal, Superman had put his sleeping child down in the bed he and Lois normally shared and changed into his pajama bottoms before joining his son.

When morning arrived, Clark got up and gently lifted his son into his arms walking across the hall. In Jason's darkened room, he stepped over the few toys that were lying between him and the bed and carefully put his small son down without waking him. His mom had called and said that Lois was being discharged and that they would be on their way shortly. He knew that when Lois got home, she would want to shower. It was something that they both had to do after they had been out in public places in order to keep Jason safe from any illness, though last night when he arrived home he had not due to their son's outburst. Once Clark was sure his little boy would stay asleep he left the room, shutting the door halfway before he went to get things ready for his love's return.

* * *

Lois felt more herself at home in her own bed after the shower she took with Clark's help. She was still exhausted, which Dr. Sanderson said would be the case as her body dealt with the blood clot. Clark had informed her about Jason's difficult night and Lois was ready to spend time with her little boy. One thing she really appreciated was that Clark had bought a 27 inch TV and set it up in their room so she could keep track of the news during her bed rest. There was also an office issued laptop so that she could communicate with work. As she was about to fall asleep, her munchkin entered the room rubbing his eyes.

With a little struggle, Jason managed to climb into bed with his mom and was soon resting against her left side. "I was scared that the bad man would hurt you and my baby," he told her as he felt her arms wrap around his body.

Lois shut her eyes and breathed in deeply. Somewhere there was a ray of light in all of this, but their lives had been such a struggle since Superman had come back nearly a year ago, though she didn't blame him for any of it. The fault was with Lex Luthor and she wanted desperately to find him so that she could do something. "Your daddy kept an eye on me munchkin," Lois replied as she leaned her head to the left to kiss his head.

"Is the baby hurt?" Jason asked as he lifted his head to look at her.

"No, your baby is just fine, but my body is a little sick right now and I have to rest to make it better again," answered Lois, hoping that she would not have to explain the complexity of a blood clot to her five year old son. As she thought on that she remembered that in another month her son would be six. Superman had returned two weeks after Jason turned five, and Lois wondered how they would celebrate his birthday with him in such a delicate condition. As she pondered that, she felt his arm slip from around her chest and realized that he had gone back to sleep. Lois smiled as she allowed her own eyes to shut and soon joined her son in a much needed rest.

* * *

Over the next few days, Lois did as she needed and stayed in bed, only getting up to use the bathroom. Clark had helped her take sponge baths, something she wasn't all that fond of in lieu of a real bath, but she really didn't have much of a choice.

Seated in bed propped up against several pillows, Lois reached behind her left shoulder with her right hand and tried to rub the stiffness out of her back. Clark had gone into work, something she wanted desperately to do, and she knew he was trying his best to find something that would point the blame of the missing bodies away from the DA. She leaned forward trying to stretch out the kinks as she heard the door open and when she looked up Clark was there.

It was obvious that Lois wasn't comfortable, and after finishing what he needed to at the _Plane_t; Clark had decided to come home early. Jason was in with Ben and his mom listening to a story that they were both reading to him, and Clark wanted time alone with the woman he loved. "Here let me take that," he offered, and when she moved her hands away he put her lap top down on the floor next to her side of the bed.

Lois watched as he walked to their door and shut it and when he came back he sat down beside her and helped her remove her shirt. Afterwards, he helped her move down on the bed and had her hug one of the pillows a moment before she felt the warmth of his hands against her back. Lois let her eyes drift closed as his hands began to massage her shoulders first, and let out a deep breath as she felt his hands work their way down her back. A few minutes later all of the stiffness she had been feeling was gone, and as he moved in bed behind her, Lois felt better. "How did you learn to do that?" she asked in a voice barely above a whisper.

Clark moved his lips against her shoulder brushing a light kiss there before he answered. "I'm not sure," he admitted as he gently pulled her body firmly against his own, while reaching out with his free hand to pull the comforter against them. Once they were covered by the blanket, Clark moved his left hand down the front of her body until it came to rest just below her belly button. It was not yet obvious that Lois was pregnant, but by touch her abdomen was already very firm and as he rubbed his hand over that area there was a slight rise there.

His body pressing against her back and his hand resting over where their baby was growing made Lois feel safe and she forgot all of her other worries. For the moment only the two of them existed and she felt as though nothing on earth could ever hurt her or her family.

* * *

**AN:** _Lois will not lose her baby I promise not to be that mean and so with that I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and I would love some reviews so hit that button. Big thank yous go out to Beeto who not only Beta reading this one but is also Beta reading the first one which I'm going to start replacing chapters with because there was a great deal that I messed up on grammatically so anyway THANKS..._

Eviefan


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 21: Bed Rest**

Being on bed rest was like a prison sentence for Lois. She knew the reasons why she had to stay in bed and would not endanger the life of her unborn child, but Lois was used to an active life. Clark had returned to work, bringing her reports of his investigation on what he could find out about the evidence against the DA, but again Lois wanted to be on the beat instead of in bed.

While his mommy was not happy about staying at home, Jason was elated and spent as much time as he could with her. He loved to sit on his daddy's side of the bed and draw while she watched the news or worked on her computer. Sometimes they would share a story, other times he would ask her about the baby, wanting to know if he was going to have a baby brother or a sister. So far, he had not been sick since arriving home and was gaining back the energy that he should have.

Clark was well aware of Lois's displeasure at having to stay in bed, and at night when he arrived home he did what he could to comfort her. He knew her back was hurting her and was grateful for Ben and his mom, who seemed to know he needed time with Lois and looked after of Jason so that he could be with her. At work the investigation into who might have planted the evidence at the DA's office was almost at a standstill. As Superman, he had scanned everything and had not found anyone else's finger prints, and the other day the gun had been found at the DA's apartment, with his finger prints on it. It was not looking good for him, and both Clark Kent and his partner knew that Lex had to be behind it.

* * *

"That one has a broken wing, but the doctors who are really wizards gave him medicine to fix it," Jason said as he explained his most recent dragon picture to his mommy.

Once again Lois was very impressed with her son's art work and his imagination at telling the story behind the drawing. "This is a very good picture Jason." Her praise brought a smile to his face and Lois hugged him close despite the stiffness she felt in her back. For a moment her son rested against her quietly and Lois thought maybe he was falling asleep, but then he sat up and turned on his belly easily sliding off the bed that way. "Where are you off to?" she asked.

"I'm going to show this to Granny and Pappa," Jason answered as he left the room.

Once she was alone, Lois sat forward stretching her arms out in front of her in effort to get rid of the stiffness she was feeling in her back, but it didn't do her any good and as she sat back up she sighed heavily. Grabbing the remote to the new TV off of the night stand, Lois flipped the TV on and tuned in to the local news channel. There wasn't much on the news and no sign of Superman. After flipping through all of the major news networks, Lois turned the TV off and shut her eyes.

* * *

It wasn't easy, but Clark managed to get into the DA's office and began scanning the room trying to find anything at all that was out of place. He knew in his gut that all of this was Lex's doing, and on that end he was frustrated. Even with Bruce Wayne's vast amount of resources he had not been able to find any trace of the madman. After scanning the unable to find anything, he walked over to the desk and scanned that. He found documents of recent cases, all things that the DA would need, but not one thing in there that would explain why the DA would kill people and try to cover it up after the bodies were found. There was no evidence of the Cult, which some other papers like the _Star_ had already printed.

After spending nearly two hours scanning everything that he could, Clark left the city building feeling frustrated. Perry already wanted to put him on another investigative piece and it was hard for him to persuade the Editor in Chief to change his mind. As he rode back to the _Planet_ in a taxi, Clark listened to the sounds around him, picking up a local radio station which reported an explosion at an oil refinery outside of St Paul. "I think this will be far enough," Clark said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty dollar bill.

The driver, an older man named Al, took the money and was getting ready to give his passenger change when he turned around and found the car empty. Al shrugged and pocked the money and went about his business looking for another passenger.

* * *

While her grandson ran around the room, quietly pretending to be a dragon, Martha sat in the kitchen at her sewing machine working on a small project. She had just taken lunch in to Lois and had time to finish what she was working on. After adding the final touches she unplugged the machine and stood up. In the family room she found Jason standing in front of the TV and her eyes followed his gaze as she saw Superman working to stop a fire at an oil refinery. It was evident by the look on his face that Jason was worried, so Martha took charge. "Jason I need to see if these fit you darling," she called out.

For a moment Jason watched as his daddy flew in an out of the flames and then the turned and saw something in his granny's hands. "What are those?" he asked leaving the TV, not noticing that his pappa was already changing the channel.

"These are your dragon wings," replied Martha smiling as Jason's whole face lit up. She knelt down and helped him put his arms through the elastic straps and in a moment Jason was growling and puffing out his chest.

"I want to show my mommy," said Jason and when Martha nodded her approval he ran for her room. When he got to the door he quieted down and slowly opened it peeping his head in. Once he knew she was awake looking at her computer he walked in holding his head high and proud. "Mommy I'm a real dragon," he announced as he arrived at her bedside.

Lois took a look at the new red wings he wore on his back and the detail that had gone in to them. "Did you thank your Granny for making those?" In a flash of a second she was alone again and shook her head as she got back to online chat with her sister Lucy.

_Jason was just in here showing me his new dragon wings. He has really gained an interest in that series that you got for him during Christmas_, Lois typed. As she waited for a response she heard growling coming from the family room and Jason's laughter. _I need to go I think Clark is home_. Once Lucy replied she shut her computer down and was setting it on her dresser when the man she loved entered the room with Jason attached to his leg.

"Lois have you seen our son? I haven't been able to find him anywhere."

Lois shook her head, and in a serious tone she replied, "No I thought maybe he was in with your mom and Ben, but he might have flown away to be with the other dragons."

As his mom said that Jason giggled and then laughed as his daddy lifted him into the air. "I'm a big scary dragon and I'm going to get the bad man," Jason said in a gruff voice. When Clark put him down their son ran across the hall to his room growling as he shut his door.

Right before her eyes, in a flash of color, Clark changed from wearing a navy work suit to wearing a pair of black sweat pants and a t-shirt. Once he was changed into something comfortable Clark walked over to the bed and sat down. He put his hands on either side of Lois's pillow and leaned in kissing her tenderly on the lips. As Clark was about to pull away he felt her hand on the back of his head and deepened the kiss as he moved his left hand away from the pillow, trailing it down Lois's arm, while keeping an ear out for their son. Reluctantly he pulled a way knowing what she wanted because he wanted that too, but with her condition and the fact that Jason was very likely to walk in on them even if the door was shut, they couldn't continue.

When Clark pulled slightly away from her, Lois opened her eyes wishing there could be more, but she knew what he did. Right now she had to take it easy, for the sake of the baby that was growing in her womb, and for the sake of their little boy playing in the next room. They shared one more kiss and as they parted they heard a loud crash followed by Jason's screams. Lois was ready to jump out of bed before cursing under her breath as Clark was gone in an instant.

* * *

At the time pulling out the drawers in his dresser to resemble a stair case seemed like a great idea. Jason wanted a better spot to jump from thinking that if he thought happy thoughts and substituted Pixie Dust with the glitter he found in his granny's sewing things he would manage that. Unfortunately the old dresser was not as steady as Jason had thought and as he reached the top it teetered and fell forward. Jason hit the ground and a moment later the dresser landed on top of him.

Clark got to his little boy in less than a second after her heard his screams and righted the dresser before he scanned Jason quickly with his X-ray vision. There were no broken bones but the dresser was heavy and as Clark cradled his son in his arms taking him into the room where he knew Lois was waiting he was fairly certain there would be bruises.

The moment Jason was in her arms, Lois held him close wanting to know what had happened, but with his loud shrill cries she knew that she wouldn't hear what Clark had to say. "Shhh, it's alright now," Lois crooned as she kissed the top of his head. When Clark handed her the inhaler, Lois managed to get him to take a puff. Jason did that and cried more.

It took both of them quite some time before they finally got Jason to calm down, and once he stopped crying he wanted to go play again.

Lois looked at Clark before her gaze fell back on her child's sad face. "Will you tell me what happened?"

"I wanted to fly like a dragon so I got granny's glitter and I thought happy thoughts but it didn't work," he explained as she wiped the remainder of his tears away.

When Lois found out that the dresser fell on top of him she looked at Clark and realized he had already looked Jason over. The dresser was not a full size adult dresser, but it was still enough that it could have hurt their son much worse. "Jason, I know how much you love your play time and how much fun you have pretending, but little boys don't…" Lois stopped a moment as she thought about what she was saying. "Most little boys can't fly, and right now, that goes for you too. Your daddy can fly and do amazing things because he is a grown man. Right now, you have to be careful and pretend without getting hurt."

"I want daddy to take me flying," Jason said as he tilted his head back so that he could look at his father. He giggled as his daddy leaned forward and nibbled his neck, and then looked at Clark expectantly.

Clark would love nothing more than to take Jason flying, but the fact still remained that he had no immune system, and with that, he had to deny him his request. "When you are all better I will fly you anywhere you want to go," Clark said.

"Will you fly me to Pluto?" asked Jason as he moved out of his mommy's arms, crawling into his father's.

"Anywhere here on this planet," Clark said correcting his earlier statement.

Jason sighed, yawning in the process before his Granny entered the room with dinner for all three of them.

Having his mom do so much work made Clark feel guilty, but he knew better than to tell her that because of the protests he knew would follow. "Thank you mom." He took the trays putting them down in front of all three of them and for the first time in a while, they had dinner together.

* * *

Resting on her stomach with her arms crossed in front of her on a pillow, Lois let out a soft moan as Clark's hands found all of the sore muscles in her back. Jason was asleep in his bed and Martha and Ben had also turned in for the night leaving time for just the two of them.

Tonight, Clark had gotten out the grape seed oil Lois had purchased while they were in Italy and worked his hands down to the small of her back. He applied a small amount of pressure there and felt her body totally relax. For the next few minutes he continued to work out all of the kinks she had been complaining about and as he finished he took the small bath towel he had brought with him to wipe his hands off. "How do you feel?" Clark asked as he leaned over brushing her hair to one side as he moved his lips first against her left shoulder, and then further up against the back of her neck.

"I feel wonderful," Lois admitted again wishing they could do more. She had her eyes shut, but felt the bed shift and a moment later she was in his arms resting against his chest which was where she liked to be. Her shirt was still off but at the moment she really didn't care. "So do I get this treatment after the baby arrives?" Lois asked rubbing her cheek against his well defined chest.

Clark had his arms wrapped around her, and his hand cupped against her left cheek. "I think that and much more," he replied.

"You do realize that in a few months I'm going to be as big as a whale," Lois informed him sighing in contentment as she felt his hand slid down her back to cup against her bottom.

Clark moved his hand back up her back and lifted his head as she lifted hers. Their lips met in a passionate kiss, one that neither one wanted to ignore. As their tongues intertwined, Clark felt Lois's hand move down his chest and as she broke the kiss he shut his eyes when she reached beneath the band of his sweatpants and boxers finding her target. He fought to control his emotions and desires as Lois moved down the bed, and his breath came in gasping pants as she pleasured him with her hands and then her mouth.

Much later as Clark rested on his side behind Lois he thought about this family and all they had gone through. Lex Luthor was still a threat, and he knew as well as anyone that changes needed to be made, however trying to do that and protect the world seemed near impossible. As he was about to fall asleep he heard Jason calling out to him, and reluctantly, Clark moved away from Lois. Once dressed in his pajama bottoms and a t-shirt, Clark walked across the hall to his son's room.

"Daddy, I woke up and I can't go back to sleep," Jason said as his father knelt down next to his bed.

"You need to try, it's still very early in the morning," replied Clark as he leaned in giving Jason a kiss on his forehead. His son sighed, and Clark got him to move over. Once there was enough room he moved in next to his little boy and in a moment he held Jason in his arms similar to the way he had Lois before things got heated up.

Jason thought about his dragon wings, and lifted his head. "May I go sleep with my dragon wings on?"

Gently, Clark moved his hand against Jason's head pushing slightly until Jason laid it back down against his chest. "Go to sleep," he whispered as he began to rub his hand over his son's back.

As much as he wanted to stay awake and talk to his daddy, the comfort he felt being held in his arms and his daddy's hand rubbing against his back was making Jason very sleepy. The little boy yawned a few times trying his best to keep his eyes open but soon he could not and fell fast asleep.

* * *

As soon as Clark stepped into the newsroom the next morninig, Gil told him that the chief wanted to see him After putting his briefcase on his desk and draping his suit jacket over his chair, Clark pulled at his tie before he walked to the chief's office knocking on the door once before he entered. "You wanted to see me?"

Perry was on the phone with someone but motioned for Clark to have a seat. "I don't care how long it takes you find out where that came from." Perry hung up the phone taking in a deep breath before he let it out and looked over at Clark. "How is Lois?"

"Um, she is anxious to get out of bed. The doctor says it will be another couple of weeks," Clark informed.

Perry nodded his head in response. "Kent, I want you to grab Olsen and get down the east side docks. Find out who is working on refurbishing the place and get me something good for the front page."

When Perry picked up his phone to make a call, Clark knew it was time to go. Finding Jimmy was easy, and after the two of them got their gear together, they headed out of the office to get a taxi and head down to where Perry had sent them.

* * *

With his granny busy making the beds both in his room and in the room she and his pappa were using, Jason managed to make it outside. It was a warm sunny day though the ground beneath his bare feet was still wet from the bit of rain they had received during the night. Still dressed in his pajamas, Jason ran over to his swing set and easily climbed up the ladder to his fort. He had on his dragon wings and really wanted to fly. His mother's words from last night rang in his head, and he knew if the sun was shining that maybe his powers would start working right. Hoisting himself up, Jason climbed through the small window in his fort and grasped onto the top of the swing set which was a fairly wide wooden plank a bit higher than his fort.

* * *

Ben finished his shopping and arrived home to a quiet house. When he arrived in the kitchen with his arms full of grocery bags, he noticed that the sliding door was open just a bit. Puzzled he set the bags down and walked to the door and that was when his heart nearly stopped beating. Very calmly he stepped outside. "Jason you will want to climb back down from there," he called out, not wanting to frighten his grandson.

Jason had his arms held above his head trying to feel something from the light of the sun shining on him but it was not like when he had been sick and his daddy flew him high in the air. He remembered that vaguely and this was not the same. "Pappa, I'm like my daddy, I just need the sun to warm me on the inside and then I can fly like a real dragon."

Ben heard Martha behind him a moment before she went inside and he prayed she was calling Clark on the encrypted cell phone he had gotten while in Gotham. "Jason, do you remember your illness?" Ben asked as he began to walk closer to the swing.

"Yes, the bad man wants to make me die," he said not wanting to realize what was really true. He wanted more than anything to be like his daddy and not be sick, and resolutely he pushed the sad thoughts away. "I'm going to fly to South America, Pappa, and then I can find the Dragons and tell them to get the bad man." In his five year old mind, the dragons were real, more so than his father, who had not been able to find the bad man.

Ben stood close to the swings. "Jason, will you climb down and let me take you inside?" he asked.

"No, I know that the sun will warm me inside and then I can fly," he said as he held his arms in front of him again.

Suddenly his grandson was no longer on the swing set and as Ben turned toward the house he sighed relief as he found Superman holding his little boy very close. The look of panic was evident in the Man of Steel's eyes, and silently Ben moved past them to find Martha waiting just inside. He took her into his arms, grateful that she had the foresight to call Clark and get him home.

Jason hugged his daddy as tight as he could. He knew his daddy was afraid but really didn't understand why. "The sun will fix me and make me better, Daddy," Jason finally said feeling the arms around him loosen just a bit.

Superman entered the house and for a brief moment he put his son on his feet. Once he had on his suit from work and his glasses he carried Jason down the hall to his room and shut the door behind him. Clark walked over to the bed and sat down cradling Jason in his arms so that they could look at one another. "I know you heard what your mommy told you last night," he began, feeling worried and a bit angry at the same time.

Jason sighed. "Mommy doesn't know, Daddy. I'm like you and the sun made me warm when I was sick and I know it will make me warm again so I can fly away." Again he found his fathers arms around him and as he rested the left side of his head against his father's chest he could hear his heart beating rapidly.

Clark thought about what he would say for a moment, focusing his hearing to Lois and the baby. Her steady breathing let him know that she was asleep, and for now he was going to let her stay that way. "You are right, the sun made you better, but right now it can't help you," Clark said as Jason looked up at him.

"Why not, Daddy?" he asked feeling the sadness creeping back into his heart.

"You are my son, Jason, but the sickness you had took away the parts of you that are most like me, the parts of you that would draw power from the sun, or keep you from getting sick." He waited for his little boy to understand his words and when Jason didn't Clark spent nearly twenty minutes explaining as simply as he could about why Jason had to stay inside and why the sun would not help him.

"I hate the bad man," Jason said as his lips drooped down. In a moment Jason was resting with most of his body against his father's chest and his head against his shoulder. "I want dragons to be real. Why can't they be?" he asked as he yawned.

Clark shut his eyes as he gently rocked his fragile little boy, wishing he could make Jason feel better. "They are a part of many stories, existing only in books or movies," Clark replied as he felt Jason's hot tears against his neck. He knew Lois needed her rest, but Clark also knew that Jason needed her comfort as well as his and stood up. He carried Jason across the hall to their room and as he opened the door, the woman he loved managed to sit up.

"What happened?" Lois asked realizing that Clark should be at work. She held out her arms and in a moment their boy was settled safely within her embrace. Jason held on to her and the look in Clark's eyes told her that they should talk about it later. With Clark's help, Lois leaned back against her pillows and a few minutes later their little boy went to sleep. As he slept, Clark took him back to his room and when he returned she wanted answers.

Clark sat down next to her, unsure how to tell her what Jason had done, and how close he had come to serious injury. "Lois, we need to find another place to live," he said.

"What did he do, Clark?" she asked cutting straight to the chase. Lois had seen the worried look in her best friend's eyes and knew that Jason had done something to bring him home.

"Jason thought that the sun would give him the power to fly. My mom called on the secure line and told me that he was standing on top of his swing set, and I got there just in time. I need to talk to Bruce and find a way to keep track of our son. There are too many dangers out there for him and for all of us, and I can't continue to ignore that or to expect humanity to change its ugly ways all at once." That last part was said with a hint of sadness and when she took his hand Clark managed a smile.

Finding out that her son had been ready to fly off the swing set made Lois's heart pound painfully in her chest. Then, hearing Clark's solution confused her. "How much can Bruce do to help us?"

"I'm not sure but I need to find a way. We can't stay in this house Lois, and I know how much we have all been through but we need to find a place out of the way, a place where Lex Luthor or anyone else for that matter can't get to us."

Lois sighed. "What you are talking about would cost way more than what we can afford. You do realize that, don't you?" she asked.

That had been what stopped him before, but he knew that price no longer mattered. If there was a way, he would find it. "I'll find a way to cover the cost," he told her, not sure how he would do that. "Do you want anything before I go back to work?"

Lois managed to sit up on her own and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Just this," she replied as he followed her lead. They shared a warm searching kiss, and when it ended they both laughed as her stomach growled. "Maybe something to eat," Lois added as he kissed her own more time before he left to bring her some food.

* * *

Jimmy had taken all the pictures he could and was about to leave when he bumped into Clark. "Where did you go?" he asked. For some time he had been wondering where his friend always slipped off to, and today was not the time to be going any place.

"I found a way inside and got these," Clark said showing him the folders. He watched as Jimmy smiled.

As Jimmy took a look at the folders he wondered if Lois was rubbing off on his friend. "Is there anything in there that would maybe put the bodies with this company?"

Clark was hoping that something would pan out for the DA, but his initial scan had not found much. "I don't know Jimmy, but I hope so," he replied. The two of them walked down the pier until they came to the main road. Once they were there Clark hailed a cab, and they headed back to the _Planet_.

* * *

Clark spent the rest of his work day pouring through the folder he had retrieved, and looking up names on the Lexus-Nexus, trying to see if there was anything a miss that might point to something bigger. For nearly fifty years, the east side docks had become a waste yard - a dangerous place for anyone after dark, but now suddenly it was being renovated and to Clark wanted to know why. Perry obviously felt the same way because he was the one who had assigned this piece to him. As 6 pm rolled around, Clark met with Perry and told him he would get Lois to help him look over the folders of information. Perry agreed that Lois should lend him a hand and once that was settled Clark gathered up what he needed from his desk and headed for the elevators. Once outside he made a beeline for the closest alley. When he was sure no one could see him he changed into his other suit and headed to see his friend in Gotham City.

* * *

**AN:** _As always thanks to those of you who have stuck with me thus far. Yes Jason is getting a bit of a reprieve from his illness, time to be a kid and I've had fun playing around with how I figure a very smart creative child would be. Also a huge thanks to Beeto for keeping up with this story and being my Beta reader. _

_Eviefan_


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter 22: Plans**

Even with a blanket draped over her legs, the room where Lois was resting was cold. Three weeks had gone by and as Dr. Sanderson herself prepared to do the ultrasound, Lois hoped that her days spent in bed would be over. To the right of the exam table, Clark stood holding her hand and in a moment they were both looking at the monitor as the image of their baby came up on the screen. Both of them were silent, unable to really say much as Dr. Sanderson pointed out the baby's developed arms and legs, and the head. It was still difficult to see, but compared to the last ultrasound three weeks before; their baby seemed a little bigger.

"The good news is that there is no sign of the blood clot, which means that you no longer have to be on bed rest," Dr. Sanderson told Lois as she looked at the couple. She waited, allowing them have a private moment of cuddling before she continued. "That does not mean you can go back to your full daily activities. I still want you to be careful. Listen to your body, Lois, and if you start feeling tired then you find a place to sit or lie down. You are not out of the woods yet. Now, would you like me to make a print of this?" she asked. When both of them said 'yes' at the same time the doctor smiled and jotted down a few notes before heading out of the room to let the young woman change into her cloths.

Once they were alone Clark helped Lois to her feet and for a moment he gathered her into his arms. Like her, he was relieved to have this almost behind them, and again he was grateful for the help of the kind doctor and to his friend Bruce Wayne, whom he had yet to talk to. He had been to Gotham a few times, and each time Clark had missed Bruce by near minutes. Finally, he left a message with Alfred and was waiting for the billionaire to give him a call back about the plans Clark needed to make for his family. "How do you feel?" asked Clark

As she held her arms around his waist, Lois took in a deep breath and slowly let it out. "Tired," she admitted. The stress of the past few weeks had worn her out, and as much as she wanted to head back to work with the man she loved, Lois knew she would have to take care of her body. Dr. Sanderson said she was right around 11 weeks, and she knew that very soon she would have to start shopping for clothes that would fit around her expanding waist line.

After Lois was dressed, a nurse came with their release papers and a print out of the ultrasound, and afterwards Clark took Lois' hand and the two of them checked out of the clinic in Gotham. Outside the small brick building, Clark scanned the area making sure that no one was around watching them and once he was sure it was safe, he escorted Lois to their waiting car.

* * *

While his parents were at the doctor's office, Jason was sitting with his granny looking at the photo album that his mom had made for his dad last Christmas. "How come I was so small?" he asked looking at a picture of him held in his mommy's arms.

Martha had her left arm draped around her grandson and gave him a gentle squeeze. "Your mom told me that you were in a hurry to come and see her," she told him. Jason kept his hand on that picture and Martha could tell he was thinking about something.

"Was I in mommy's belly like the new baby? She doesn't have any pictures of me with her. At my school, Petey has a brother named Douglas and there are pictures of his mommy with a big belly because that was where Douglas was before they went to the hospital to get him."

There were no answers for Jason from her, and Martha knew that Lois needed to address this. "I'm not sure Jason, there might be pictures. When your mommy arrives home, and after she has time to rest, maybe you can ask her," suggested Martha. They looked through the photo album for a few more minutes before her grandson slipped down from the couch to go play in his room.

* * *

It was nearly five o'clock by the time Clark pulled the Audi up to the house, and as he put the car in park and shut off the engine, Lois stirred in the passenger seat. "Did you have a nice nap?" Asked Clark sympathetically

As Lois straightened her neck from where she had been leaning it against the door, she winced. "Yes, but remind me not to do that anymore." As she told him that, Lois rubbed her neck before gently tilting from one side to the other in effort to get the kinks out. Once she was ready, Clark got out of the car and before she could even open the door, he was there ready to lend her a hand. "You know, you are lucky," Lois said as he took her hand and helped her out of the car.

"How is that," he asked curiously.

"When I was pregnant with Jason, if anyone offered to help me stand up from a chair or get out of the car I would have given them an ear full." As she told Clark that, Lois thought about Richard and all he had gone through and began to feel that old hurt creep back into her heart.

"Hey," Clark said as he saw a frown cross the beautiful features of her face." He caught her attention and was about to kiss her when they both heard Jason calling from the door. "Don't worry about that," he suggested, guessing where her mind had just been. When she was ready, he took her hand and the two of them headed inside to be with their family.

* * *

Work had not been the only thing that Lois missed during her long bed rest. As she sat on a small wicker chair next to the bathtub in the guest bathroom, her son was busy pushing his ships through the bubbles they had added to the water. She had already helped him wash, including getting his hair clean, and Lois was enjoying spending time being Mommy. "I think that it is time for you to get out. Will you let the water drain for me, please?"

"But, Mommy," whined Jason, though when he looked at her he knew that what sometimes worked with Granny was not going to work with her and did as he was told. When he was ready, Jason took her hand and let his mommy help him out of the bath shivering even as she wrapped a fluffy blue towel around his small form.

Upon arriving in his room, Jason got his pajamas on, before kneeling down on the floor in front of her feet and letting her towel dry his hair. "Mommy, did you have any pictures of when I was in your belly?" he asked suddenly out of the blue.

For a moment Lois stopped rubbing the towel through his hair and then began again. There was a reason she had not wanted pictures of her pregnancy of Jason, because at the time she had thought she wanted to forget _him_. "Do you remember when we talked about your daddy leaving before you were born?" she asked as she finished drying his hair.

"It made you very sad," he told her as he climbed into bed.

Once he was beneath the warm covers, Lois sat down on the edge of the bed and leaned over kissing Jason's cheeks. "It did make me very sad, and a bit angry," she admitted, unsure how much she should tell her little boy about that time in her life. "I loved you the moment I saw you, but before you were born I was very afraid and I didn't want pictures taken of me."

"Were you mad at me when I was in your tummy?" he asked as his little voice trembled. In an instant Jason found her arms around him and held on as tight as he dared.

"Oh, my sweet little boy! I love you, and have loved you since the day I found out I was going to have you. It is just that I was very afraid," she told him as she moved slightly away.

Jason reached out and touched her belly. "You were afraid because my daddy went away, but you won't be now because he will be here with us forever," Jason stated, believing that with all of his heart.

* * *

While Lois got Jason ready for bed, Clark was finally on the phone talking to Bruce. "I have been naive and I can't be anymore," He stated. For most of the last hour, Clark had been telling Bruce about Jason's antics, and about the fears he had concerning Lex Luthor. There was no way that he and Lois could afford to buy a new house or implement some sort of security system on their own, and he knew that it was asking a lot of Bruce to help them once again.

On his end Bruce listened to Clark and thought about Jason and his own life as a child. His parents, while they had helped the people of Gotham, had been naïve about human nature. As a result, he lost them at an early age and even though he had been well cared for, that murder had scarred him for life. He had faced his fears when the League of Shadows had sought him out, but he would never be able to keep that horrible tragedy too far away.

"I will help you, but I need a few favors in return," Bruce said as he switched his thoughts over to Wayne Enterprises.

"Whatever you need, you will have," Clark replied. He trusted Bruce more than anyone else outside of his family, even given their differences, and thus Clark listened as his friend told him about the space station scheduled for launch in four months.

"It is ready for launch now, but as you can well imagine, it takes a great deal of money and funding for that to take place."

From his studies back at the Fortress of Solitude, Clark knew the technology it took for mankind to explore space, and compared to Kryptonian technology, they were far behind. "I can launch that for you, but I would prefer not to have any media coverage, if that is possible.

"That will not be a problem. Now what do you need from me?" Having Clark launch the station as Superman would save his company millions of dollars. It would help their research on how a zero gravity environment would help Wayne Pharmaceuticals stay ahead of the competition, among other things.

There was so much that he needed, but as he started to tell Bruce, Clark heard what he thought was Lois crying. "I need to cut this short, duty calls," he said once he realized that he was correct.

Guessing that Superman was needed, or perhaps that Jason needed him, Bruce wasn't offended and they ended their conversation. Immediately after ending the call, Bruce dialed Lucius Fox to tell him of the revised plan for the space station launch.

* * *

After she got Jason to sleep, Lois entered her bedroom; unable to stop the tears that had threatened when Jason asked her why she had not taken pictures when she was pregnant with him. Realizing that it was silly to get so upset over something so trivial, Lois did her best to calm down. However, when she remembered the sad tone of his voice when her baby asked her if she had been angry with him when she was pregnant, the tears began again. Resting in bed on her side, Lois had her eyes shut as her mind kept going back to Richard and to her son. She was so absorbed in her pain that she did not hear Clark as he entered the room. The only thing she noticed was that one moment she was alone and the next moment he was sitting on the bed hugging her close as she tried to get some sort of composure.

Finding Lois so upset had Clark worried, though as he continued to hold her and whispered soft reassurances to her, the cries were subsiding some.

"Jason," she began as she took a shaky breath. "Jason wanted to know why I didn't have any pregnant pictures with him. I never thought I would have to answer for that, but at the time I was so mad at you that I didn't want any reminder. Isn't that horrible?" she asked as she hugged him closer.

"No. No it's not." He was unsure how many times he would regret leaving for those five years, but Clark knew Lois had a right to still get upset over that from time to time and all he could do was to hold her and try and ease her away from that painful time.

Lois sniffed, trying to remember if there were any pictures, before pulling away from him. "Lucy took a picture of me one day when we had lunch. I had no idea she did it, but if she saved that picture I'll buy her that new car she wants. Clark, will you bring me the phone?"

One moment she was really upset, and the next she was happy. As Clark got the secure cell from the family room, he wondered if that was normal for someone who was expecting a child and made a mental note to ask his mom. Even though Martha had not been able to have children of her own, she had been a part of a large Methodist Church and Clark hoped that somehow she would have the answers. Once he gave the phone to Lois, he walked across the hall and silently entered his son's room. Carefully, Clark leaned over his son and brushed a light kiss against the crown of his head. As he straightened up, he heard something on the TV about a Bank Robbery. In a blur he was out of his son's room, out of the house and in the air flying west toward Chicago.

* * *

By the weekend, three days after Lois had been released from bed rest, she and Martha were working on birthday plans for Jason. He would turn six the following Monday, and since it would have to be a small celebration, both mothers' were trying to come up with a way to make it very special for him.

While his mom and Lois worked on birthday plans, Superman paid a visit to Gotham city with a bag of toys. It was dark, rainy day, which made going there undetected much easier. He had already spoken with Bruce, who agreed to let Clark use one of Wayne Enterprises irradiation facilities. The process of ridding the toys of all germs took just over twenty minutes, and once they sealed in a special wrap, they were irradiated. Bruce arrived at the facility located close to Wayne tower as Superman was finishing up, and the two of them finalized the plans that they had for their operations late in the night.

"There is a landing strip twenty miles west of the city. It is owned by my company and the space station is in a large warehouse there. No one except for me, Fox and a few other trusted people from my company knows of this, and I promise you that we will take care of any questions that come up from the media," Bruce told him. "Now if you will excuse me, I have someone I need to take a look in on." Bruce walked out of the room, already in contact with Alfred. His aide was giving him the results of the information they had obtained from the Police Force regarding a criminal who had escaped Arkham Asylum during the raid on the city by the League of Shadows.

Once Bruce was gone, Superman took the bag of toys and left through the window, after scanning the rooms around him and out the window to be sure there was no one there to see him. Flying high above the clouds, Superman headed home. It was still very dreary, though above the clouds the sun shown bright and as he flew, Superman drew in the energy, letting it saturate his body before he scanned through the clouds, finding his neighborhood.

He scanned the area around his house and listened to the sounds far below him. It was getting to be too much of a risk to live there, and he hoped within the next few weeks that the plans for the house could be drawn up and construction could begin. Once he was sure it was safe, he shot down through the clouds, rocketing toward the house in speeds so fast that not even a camera with enhanced features would be able to see him. The Man of Steel held the bag of toys close, and right before he got to the ground just outside the back of his house, he came to a full stop without hurting anything in the sealed bag. He listened inside and heard Jason's voice coming from the back of the house. Quickly he changed into normal attire and walked out to the shed where he opened the door and put the toys there, knowing that they would be safe until it was time to wrap them and get them ready for the big day on Sunday.

* * *

"Vrooom," Jason said as he pushed his yellow plastic dump truck across the carpeted floor in his room. He wasn't aware of the plans going on behind his back, and was very focused on his play. "Okay, boys, stop the truck right over there," Jason called out as he pushed the truck beside his bed. The little boy got up on his knees and reached onto the bed knocking in some old building blocks, or in his mind timber to be transported to the building sight across his room at his desk. "Is that everything?" Jason waited and then made more car sounds as he pushed his car back across the room not seeing that his daddy was watching him.

Seeing his son at play instead of being sad or sick was a relief, and it was Clark's hope that they could keep Jason healthy until the baby was born. He knew that was a tall order but since arriving home their son had not exhibited one symptom of being sick. "Hey, what are you doing there, pal?" Clark asked as he finally entered the room.

"I'm making a building for my men," Jason replied as he dumped the blocks out of his truck. "Daddy, will you play with me?"

In a moment Clark was sitting next to his son and began to build a place for his son's 'men' to play in. While he began construction, he heard Jason's engine sounds as his little boy pushed the dump truck back across the room and couldn't help but smile. This was normal, the way it should be and being with his family gave Clark a sense of peace that he had never known before.

* * *

Lois had been watching her mother- in- law make a birthday cake from scratch and everything that was being added were ingredients that Jason could eat without becoming sick. As she was about to assist, the phone rang. Lois walked into the family room and picked up the secure line, shutting her eyes when she heard her mother's voice on the other end. "No, Mom, I wasn't ignoring you," Lois began as she sat down hard on the sofa.

Ella had spoken with Lucy and managed to finally get out of her youngest daughter that not only was her grandson back at home and doing well, but that her eldest daughter was pregnant. "So, I suppose your father and I can't be a part of your life. Is that really what you want, Lois?" Ella asked, as Sam sat close by going over some of their finances.

This was not the conversation she wanted to have with her mother, and she didn't blame Lucy for caving in under the pressure their parents obviously put on her to tell them about Jason. "Mom, I do love you but Jason isn't better. He isn't sick, but he has no immune system and we can't even risk having family with him. It is even a risk for Clark and me to be with him."

Hearing that alarmed her, "Is it cancer? Your father knows some of the best doctors in the country. We could get him the best care. You know that we would do that for you two."

Leaving his finances behind, Sam joined his wife at the phone and motioned for her to let him talk to Lois. "Lois, its Daddy. Will you let us help you this time?" he asked.

Once her father was on the line Lois felt a knot in her stomach and shut her eyes. "Daddy, I don't want to fight, but he is in remission right now and having this baby is a chance for Jason to get better. We just have to keep him from getting sick," she said, pleading with her voice for him to understand this.

For the first time in his adult life or in his daughter's adult life, Sam heard the tone of her voice and read into that. "We would like to help you, so if staying away is what it takes, then we will do that, but could you at least keep us informed?"

The risk was already there, talking to her father without him having a secure line, and Lois wasn't sure what to do about that. "I'll try daddy, but if we don't it's just because we have a lot to take care of here."

"Good. You tell Jason that his Nanna and I love him." Once Lois told him she would, Sam hung up and returned to his finances without looking at Ella.

Once she was off the phone with her father, Lois told Martha she needed to lie down and walked back to her bedroom. At her side of the bed, Lois slipped off her house shoes and settled back against her pillow. She took in a deep breath and let it out as she put her left hand over her abdomen. If her parents were willing to mellow out a little, Lois felt that maybe she could survive all of this. Those were her last thoughts as she drifted into a needed sleep.

* * *

Superman arrived close to midnight at the landing strip owned by Wayne Enterprises and found Bruce waiting for him. "I can't be in space too long," he said, wondering if Bruce was aware of that. He sometimes hovered above the earth and could be there for as long as twenty minutes without having to worry about taking a breath, but his body still required oxygen and he wasn't sure how long it would take him to lift and stabilize the station once he left earth's atmosphere.

"We have that taken care of," assured Bruce as he led him to the huge warehouse.

As they stepped into a small outer room inside the warehouse, two men greeted the Man of Steel and showed him the suit he would wear in space. It was made out of a light weight fabric and Superman listened as the functions of the suit were explained to him.

"This material should enable you to launch into space without much added weight. Once you put on the helmet, the oxygen levels will sustain you for as long as three hours in space, though you will really only need about an hour to get it to the location that we have planned," Gerard said, as he turned the suit over to the hero before nodding and leaving the room.

Once he was alone, Superman changed into the space suit, which had a gray tint to it, and when he was ready, he got the small helmet and carried it with him into the main part of the warehouse. The building covered roughly five acres of land and most of the space in the building was taken up by the space station. Superman walked to a room just to the left of the entry door, finding Bruce and his men there. He looked at mapping read outs of the space above earth, and as they showed him where to put the station, Superman was given a patch which fit on the outer sleeve of his left arm.

"That patch will guide you through a series of beeps which you will hear in your helmet. Those beeps will guide you to the right place. When the beeps become continuous that is where the station will need to be."

Superman nodded his head as he studied the space coordinates relating them to what part of the earth he would be above. He found that the station would hover just above North America and twenty miles due east of Metropolis. Locking that in his mind, Superman was ready for the task at hand. He let Bruce's men fit the patch and the helmet, hearing the hiss of oxygen once the helmet was sealed into place. Before he could ask how he would get the Station out of the building, the roof opened up from the center and spread to the sides

Bruce and his men stayed in the observatory room and watched as the station, which weighed four hundred tons was lifted up as easily as a small child would lift up a pencil. Once Superman was out of visual range, they tracked him on their monitors. Bruce watched, before moving to his left four steps to where Jake was monitoring the transmissions coming from Homeland Security. He had already informed that agency of his scheduled launch, but wanted to make sure that a panic was not started, primarily to try and keep the media from finding out until after the station was in orbit.

Getting the station into space was not as difficult as the Kryptonian land mass, though as he pushed it through the earth's atmosphere, Superman had a hard time not thinking about what had happened back then. He shut his eyes and cleared his mind of all thoughts and heard the beeping getting faster once he was in space. Superman looked below him was able to clearly see the continents of North and South America, using the earth below him as a guide more so than the beacon on his sleeve.

* * *

Lois woke to the shifting weight on the mattress to her left, and as she rolled over, she found Clark sitting with his back to her. "How did it go?" she whispered. When he didn't say anything, she frowned and pushed the covers back before she crawled over to his side to sit next to him. "Clark?"

"I kept remembering that day," he said, as he finally looked into her worried face. "I've been in space before but something about launching that station brought back all of those memories."

Lois moved her arms around him and rested her head against his left arm. "Why don't you tell me," she suggested, hoping that he would. It wasn't like him to shut her out and when she felt his body shake, she held him tighter.

"I was in such pain that day. I wanted to give up because I thought there was nothing left for me. My mother had found love with Ben and had moved on with her life, and you had Jason and Richard," he said simply as he moved his left arm up and then around the woman he loved.

"I shouldn't have let my anger hold back the truth from either of you," Lois said feeling guilty now that she knew the pain he had been in. They had talked about that day before, but never had she heard so much sadness in his voice.

Her arms around him kept him steady and Clark drew in a breath of air and let it back out. "You had every right to be angry with me, and I should not have let it hurt me so much. When I landed on that continent, I was vaguely aware of the danger. Lex and his men hit and kicked me and I almost welcomed the pain at first, hoping that it would make me forget the pain I felt at not fitting in. After you rescued me and I came to in Richard's plane, I still felt out of place. I knew you were conflicted, and I thought it would be better for me to truly say goodbye and let fate take me away."

For a moment Lois couldn't find her voice to speak. His pain was so raw and she knew he needed her strength. "Fate obviously had different plans for both of us," she finally stated as she reached up, grasping under his chin to turn his head so that she could see him. "All of that is over, and yes, we still have dangers out there for us and for Jason and this baby, but we are a family and nothing Lex or any one else does will every take that away," she said in a stern voice. She wanted him to hear her conviction, wanted him to know that she was wiling to fight to keep her family safe along side of him. When both of his arms wrapped around her, Lois knew he understood, and when she felt the pressure of his finger beneath her chin she lifted her head and in a moment his lips were pressed hard against her own. She opened her mouth while moving her hand behind his head deepening the kiss, wanting to show him with her love that all would be well.

For a moment Clark was lost in her kiss, her sweet taste and her smell and then reluctantly he pulled away. "The baby," he murmured against her left cheek.

"We can be careful," she whispered back as she tilted her head to the right trying to remember how to breathe as his lips trailed from her cheek down to her neck... Lois wanted this more than she wanted anything else but she knew that they did have to be careful.

* * *

The next morning when Jason woke up, he grabbed Trampster from the right side of his pillow and walked out of his room as normal. As he arrived in the family room he stopped and a large smile spread across his face. His parents and his granny and pappa were all sitting around talking, which was normal but draped over the wall was a banner which read, _Happy 6th Birthday Jason. _It was written in different colored balloon letters and Jason ran to his daddy laughing as he was tossed up in the air

Once Jason was sitting on his father's lap, Lois leaned in and both of them gave him a hug. "Happy Birthday, Munchkin," Lois said, kissing his cheeks.

"Mommy, may I open my presents first?" Jason asked as he spotted several of them wrapped up in the kitchen.

Generally, Lois would have preferred for her son to eat breakfast, but considering that this was all he was getting for his birthday, she couldn't tell him no. "I think that would be fine. Why don't you wait here and let Granny, Pappa and I bring them to you," Lois said, willing to pamper her son.

As he waited on his father's lap, Jason had a hard time holding still. He was extremely happy and very excited about everything he was seeing.

After the last present was brought in, Lois got the small camcorder and turned it on, focusing in on Jason and his daddy. "Aright Jason, how old are you today?" she asked, almost laughing when he rolled his eyes.

"I'm six years old." He said as he slid off of his father's lap. He ran to the stack of sanitized wrapped presents and picked the smallest one first. He liked opening the small ones and then going up the next size. Jason saw that it was from his granny and pappa and tore it open, finding a book about a bear named Paddington. On the cover was a brown teddy bear wearing a blue coat and a silly red hat. The next two gifts from them were more stories about Paddington and Jason was excited. "Thank you, Pappa and Granny," he said while he went for a box slightly larger than the books.

Sitting on the sofa to Jason's left; Clark had his right arm draped around Lois who was still taping their son as he opened his presents.

Jason made fast work of getting all of them open and was most excited about was the globe, which had a program with it to tell him about different countries around the world. His pappa was sitting next to him, and together they started to get it put together and figure it out while his mom, dad and grandma headed to the kitchen to get breakfast started.

* * *

With her hand in Clark's, Lois was enjoying walking around their neighborhood. They were not too far from the house, but when his parents offered to keep Jason occupied, they took the chance for some needed time alone. "I can't believe that he is already six," Lois said as she sighed.

"He's growing up so fast, even since I came back," Clark answered, realizing that it had very nearly been a year since that took place.

"I need to talk to the school and find a way to keep him caught up with his studies," she said as they continued their leisurely walk. It was warm outside, and she felt good for the first time in a long time.

Clark listened as she talked about trying to find a teacher who could come in a few times a week to home school their son, but, again, there was a risk to that. When she realized that he squeezed her hand. "I could see if Bruce could find someone or a way we could use the irradiation devise his company owns to keep any books and papers sent from the school from getting him sick. Maybe Mom would be willing to work with him."

"I love all they do for Jason, but I feel guilty. Clark, they haven't been home since this whole thing started," she admitted.

"Lois, she loves being here as does Ben, and I've tried to get them to take some sort of break but she won't." For the rest of the walk they were both quite both grateful to spend time together.

* * *

That evening, after Jason had a bath and was in bed, both parents sat with him listening as he tried to read one of his new Paddington books. Clark realized that Lois was right, at one time Jason would have been able to read most of the book without any problem but now he struggled and he knew that once again he would have to try and find a way for Bruce to help him. When Jason grew tired of reading, Lois took over and before the book ended their six year old son was asleep. Clark gently got up out of the bed and helped Lois stand up, watching as she pulled the covers over his body. He was worn out from playing with all of his new toys. Once she was finished, Clark knelt down and put his hand on Jason's left cheek. "I love you, son," he whispered, before he placed a gently kiss where his hand had just been.

Back in their room, Clark could tell that Lois's back was bothering her. "Why don't you lie down and let me give you a massage," he offered as he walked behind her and gently put his arms around her.

Lois leaned her head back against his chest, sighing in deep contentment as he simply held her. "I think that sounds like a plan." She opened her eyes when his hands slid down her sides and grasped the hem of her shirt and lifted it up over her head. Once her shirt was off, Lois removed her bra and then walked to the bed. She sat down and leaned back facing away from him on her left side, holding his pillow when he reached over her and handed it to her. When he sat down on the edge of the bed and began to massage her shoulders Lois winced at first and then sighed with relief once the pain and stiffness there began to ease. Last night it had been her time to take care of him and now it seemed the roles were reversed. Lois liked that they knew how to read one another, and felt closer to him than she ever had with Richard. "Oh, that feels so good," she whispered as his hands moved down to the small of her back. That seemed to be the worst spot for knots and kinks and she wondered how it would be once the baby began to really grow.

While he pressed the palm of his hand against the small of her back, Clark monitored how much pressure he could put there without hurting her or their baby. He loved this time of day, where it was just the two of them and again he marveled at how the simplest acts of love were often the greatest. When he felt the last of the tension drain from her body he began to stand up thinking she was asleep but when she reached out to grasp around his wrist he sat back down and then settled in behind her still dressed in his Jeans and an old button down top.

The heat from his body pressed up against her back added to the comfort Lois now felt and as well as the safety. It was times like now when she didn't like sharing him with the world, and she still felt selfish for such thoughts, but no one accept for his family realized that underneath the suit Superman was just a man. He had extraordinary powers, yes, but his greatest gifts were those only she and his parents knew. His greatest gift to her was her son and the child growing in her womb. Lois's last thoughts were of her children as she drifted to sleep and she didn't notice the moment he left her side to go back into the world and try to make it a better place for all of them to live.

* * *

**AN:** _A huge thanks goes out to Beeto who helped me figure out the issue I had with Clark getting so much help from Bruce and how to repay him. I hope you all like this chapter and as always Review review review... _

_Eviefan_


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter 23: Dead Ends and Changes**

Being back at work was just what Lois needed. There was a lot to cover, especially the preliminary hearing against the DA which was set in a week. Perry also wanted the public's reaction to having Superman back for a year, something Lois fought writing but her boss had a point, which was that she had a history with Superman dating back for a long time. Along with covering the public's reaction over having Superman back in their lives, and the hearing set against the DA, Clark and Lois were also trying to figure out who was funding the refurbishing of the east side docks but so far they had hit a dead end. The company responsible for it, VMG, was a legitimate corporation originating out of London England. The company had been running for ten years and had been responsible for building several offices in London's business district. Three years ago the company had gone global and all sorts of projects like the east side docks refurbishment were happening in several cities in the US. In a few weeks, Lois had an appointment to meet with the CEO of the company's North American Division, a man named Thomas Fiennes. Until then, she was busy with the Superman story, and helping her partner who was desperately trying to keep the DA from getting convicted.

Aside from work at the _Planet_, Clark was also making scheduled visits with Bruce and the men he had contracted to design the house that he would soon be building. Clark had never built a house but Bruce had all the resources he needed to learn how, and they still had men hired to work on the finer points of house building, such as installing electrical lines and plumbing for the house, as well as installing the security system. Bruce had also suggested an escape route should anything happen, and had helped Clark design a tunnel which would lead to a small access road about 20 miles from the house. The road was a dirt road not well traveled and would be included in the land that Clark and Lois would soon own.

On the home front, Jason had a tutor from his school who had been told of his condition, leukemia, which was in remission. Any papers or books that Gretchen Emerson needed to have for Jason went through the irradiation process, and were left at the house. Gretchen spent long days with Jason at the house grading his work there once he was finished, all in the effort to keep the little boy from getting sick.

As October arrived, Jason was in full Halloween mode and talked about trick or treating often. The little boy did not realize that he would not be able to trick or treat this year, and so far neither Lois nor Clark had brought that up, though it had been on their minds of late. Thanks to Martha's sewing talents, Jason had a full wardrobe of costumes which he wore around the house when he wasn't studying with his tutor. He still loved his dragon outfit but he also loved the Dalmatian outfit complete with a hood he pulled over his head which had the ears and a tale, as well as paws for his hands and his feet. There were still days when he wanted to go out and be around his friends, but most of the time he was content to be inside with his family and was still healthy, all things considered.

* * *

In the quiet of their room, Lois was settled in bed against her pillows, browsing online for baby furniture. After she had Jason, she swore she would not have anymore children and had hastily gotten rid of all of his baby things, with the exception of a few special outfits and blankets. Her little boy was already asleep, and Superman was in Texas helping with a large fire that had occurred at a military base. As she looked at several styles of baby cribs, Lois reached to her right and picked up her glass of water. She took a few sips as she clicked on the next page not really seeing anything she liked.

Now into her 14th week of pregnancy, Lois had already bought some new suits that would conceal her condition. They couldn't afford for Lex to find out the truth. Lois was well aware that when clothing no longer worked to conceal the pregnancy, she would have to stay out of the public eye and hoped Bruce could help them find some way that she could still work under those circumstances

Finally, Lois turned her computer off, realizing that until they had the new house ready, and she knew what the baby's room would look, like it was pointless to try and find furniture. Slowly her body was beginning to change, and around home, Lois felt comfortable wearing sweat pants and Clark's shirts. She had forgotten how sore certain parts of her body became during pregnancy which was why loose fitting shirts without the worry of a bra felt so nice. As she shut her eyes, ready to take a little nap, she heard a tap on her door followed by her son's soft voice. Lois opened her eyes as Jason walked into the room rubbing his tummy.

"Mommy, I have a tummy ache," Jason said as he climbed onto the bed and crawled up the mattress until he was resting at her side.

Lois gatherer her little boy closer into her arms and put her hand on his belly. "You didn't eat much dinner," she replied kissing the right side of his forehead. At dinner Jason had pushed his food around complaining that he didn't like it and was excused from the table by his father and sent to his room when he refused to quit complaining.

"Maybe it would feel better if I had a brownie," he said and laughed when his mommy tickled under his arms.

Lois stopped tickling him and hugged him close. "I don't think so munchkin, but I would be willing to go in and heat up some left over chicken." She felt his sigh and knew he didn't really want that. His diet was restricted once again and after being used to eating almost everything it was hard for Jason to stick to the things that wouldn't make him sick.

"When daddy finds the bad man I hope that he has to eat chicken all the time then he will know what I feel like," Jason whispered.

All Lois could do was hug him for a moment before she sat both of them up. Once she was out of bed she held out her hand and when Jason took it they left for the kitchen to find something that would satisfy his hunger.

* * *

Much later that night, Lois had her reading glasses on and was again looking at baby things. Clark told her that he would be able to tell what the gender of their child was, but Lois wanted them to wait until the baby was born and have it be a surprise. Now as she looked at baby outfits online, she thought about how nice it would be to know, and how much easier it would be to plan what the nursery would look like and what clothing to buy. She knew before she had Jason that she was going to have a boy, and this time she really did want to be surprised. Finally, she clicked off of the website with the baby cloths and logged into the office to check her email. Clark wasn't home and from the news on TV, it looked like she would not have him back anytime soon. There were no new emails and after shutting off the computer, Lois slid down in bed and tried to go to sleep but she couldn't.

In the kitchen, Lois turned on the lights and walked to the refrigerator where she opened the door and looked inside. There was left over chicken but that didn't sound appealing, and finally after standing there for nearly two minutes she found a jar of sweet pickles and pulled those out. She sat down at the table and opened the jar, eating the pickles straight from there. In less than a half hour she finished off the full jar including drinking most of the juice without thinking much about it. As she walked to the fridge to put the jar away the sliding door opened and once moment Superman was there, and then the next moment, Clark was in jeans and a nice shirt. "I'm raiding the fridge, do you want to help?" she asked, still feeling hungry.

When he had scanned the house from high above, Clark had seen her finish off the pickles and couldn't help but cringe. He had never really liked pickles, not even on a hamburger, and watching her go through most of them was stomach turning to say the least. "I thought some of mom's brownies heated up sounded good, but would that go well with the pickles you just had? He asked in a light teasing manner.

Lois stuck out her tongue and squealed when he pulled her in his arms and began to kiss her despite the fact she had eaten the pickles. When they parted for some much needed air, Lois looked into his eyes forgetting about everything else. "I think maybe I found something more appetizing," she breathed as his head lowered. His lips were nearly touching hers when both of them heard Jason's quiet voice coming from the hallway just outside the entryway of the kitchen. "Your turn," she whispered as they shared a light kiss. Lois smiled as Clark lifted Jason over his head settling him on his shoulders and when they were gone, she pondered the brownies and decided that he was right; they would not mix well with pickles.

* * *

Back in his bedroom resting in his bed, Jason held his father's hand against his chest. "I'm not tired daddy, I want to watch a movie," he whispered very close to crying. Jason was tired, but had not been sleeping well and he worried a lot about the bad man even though his daddy told him they were safe.

Clark leaned in and kissed Jason's nose. "You need to rest Jason, and I know you are tired. I won't let anyone hurt you," he reassured him as a tear began to trail its way down his son's cheek. Clark reached out and wiped it away with his thumb before placing a kiss where it had been. He knew that Jason needed someplace to run off some of his energy, and that the lack of physical exercise likely played a large role in his waking up a few times a night.

Jason shut his eyes hating that he had to stay in bed. "You and mommy get to be up," he pointed out as he opened his eyes again.

"Mommy and I are adults and we don't need as much sleep as you do," Clark replied as he stood up. He knew the longer he stayed the more excuses Jason would come up with not to go to bed, though when he tried to move his hand away from Jason's chest his son hung on with amazing strength for such a small child. "Shh, you need to go to sleep now and I want you to stay in bed this time. If you get truly afraid, then you call out my name and I will come to you," Clark said as he gave Jason one last kiss. It was hard to leave Jason as he began to softly cry into his pillow and tomorrow, among the other things he had to do; Clark hoped he could find a way or place where Jason could run around and have some fun.

When he arrived in the room he and Lois shared she was almost asleep, and once he had on a pair of boxer shorts and had removed his shirt, Clark walked to the bed and moved in behind Lois.

"He cried didn't he?" she whispered.

"Yes but he's calming down. I think even though there is a risk we need to let him play in the yard. He can't sleep well because he isn't really tired, and there is only so much space he has in the house to run around," Clark replied as he scooted closer to her while at the same time drawing her body toward him until her back was pressed against his chest. He held her as she drifted to sleep and placed his right hand over her abdomen holding both her and their unborn child in his protective embrace.

* * *

On their drive to the _Planet_, they got a call from the chief who wanted them over at the Federal Court building, pronto. He told Lois that they were already starting the hearing against the DA and he wanted to know why the hearing was already taking place so soon. Several blocks before they arrived, the traffic was at a stand still. "We have to get in there," Lois said feeling an adrenalin rush of excitement at figuring out what was being said in the court room. She liked the DA, but as a reporter she knew there was a story here and she wanted to have a good front page. "Clark, turn left there," Lois said as the traffic moved slowly. Her partner did what she wanted him to do and they ended up finding a parking spot nearly ten blocks away.

"Are you sure you want to do all that walking?" Clark asked as he arrived at her side of the door taking her things for her as well as lending her a hand.

"Clark, I'm pregnant, not an invalid and I know we had a scare but I can still do this," she said softly knowing that because this was his first time, he was a tad nervous. She let him help her up and then remembered her flats. Holding on to him she managed to get them on before they were on their way. It was a warm day and Lois had on a dark loose fitting skirt and a silk white top. She had on a pendant necklace that her dad had given her a few years back for Christmas and diamond studs in her ear. Lois was thankful for dark colors and after making sure she had what she needed they began their long trek.

The closer they got to the Federal Building the harder it became to push their way through the crowd. Clark held Lois's right hand in his, leading the way as they pushed through the crowded sidewalks. He had all of his senses attuned to what was going on around them, and when they finally got to the steps leading up to the Federal Building, the way was blocked by several of Metropolis's finest.

"Great, all that walking for nothing," Lois muttered more to herself than to her partner. Suddenly he was tugging her to the left. He led her past the crowd and then through the crowd they were going away from the courthouse, and as much as Lois wanted to ask him what on earth he was doing she had a feeling he was going to get them to where no one else could be. When they cut through an alley and got to the other side of some of the other city buildings she began to smile. Lois knew what he was doing and wondered when and if the other reporters would figure it out. By the time they reached the back of the courthouse it was just the two of them but the door there was guarded.

Officer Brown knew the reporting team of Lane and Kent though it had been a long time since he had seen them together. "Miss. Lane, Mr. Kent, surely you both know I can't let you in here," he said keeping his arms crossed over his chest. Officer Brown was nearly 7 ft tall and had a brown mustache. He was skinny and could pass as someone who once played on the NBA.

Lois knew that he couldn't let them inside but hoped they could get something from him. "Do you know who pushed for the hearing to start so soon?" Lois asked, already in reporter mode.

The quieter of the two, Clark let Lois do the talking and couldn't help but chuckle as she persisted in her efforts to get something out of the officer.

"Can I keep this off the record?" He asked knowing that they wouldn't go away unless he gave them something.

Lois shut off her recorder and hoped he would be able to give them some idea of who to pursue in this investigation.

"All I know is that someone in the Justice Department wanted to see the DA behind bars for a long time. This person pulled strings, not with threats but lobbying for it. See there is suspicion that the DA wasn't the only one involved in this."

This time Clark did speak up. "What is this? They can't possible know why those men were killed or really if it was the DA."

"Don't matter much they want a witch hunt, with that many bodies it reminds em of the cult killings and they are going to pin it on him no matter what happens."

"Do you have any names?" Lois asked as she reached behind her back and began to rub her hand there.

Clark noticed her sudden discomfort and focused on her. Her heart rate was normal and so was the baby's but he had a feeling that she was already overdoing it. They talked off record with the officer for another 20 minutes before they headed back for their car. Lois was walking slow and when they arrived at the car Clark helped her sit down removing her shoes for her before he shut her door and walked around to the driver's side. "I think you need to go home," he said not afraid to voice his worries.

"Clark, it's normal. I had back aches all through my pregnancy with Jason," she stated even though she was feeling tired. She remembered what Dr. Sanderson had said to her and hated it. There was potential here for a good story, it would take a great deal of investigative work but that was what Lois liked. "Okay you win, take me home," she grumbled unable to look at him.

Clark knew she was frustrated and also knew that right now he didn't need to say anything. It was a miracle in of itself that she was conceding to letting him take her home and so he kept driving. When he felt her hand reach out to rest on his lap he took his right hand off the steering wheel and held it.

"I hate this. I overdid it when I was pregnant with Jason. I felt tired and I had back aches but I pushed and pushed, and I won't do that this time, but I still hate it," Lois confessed.

"I could bring work home to you," he offered.

Lois sighed and nodded her head. Part of her wanted to have this baby and be a mom again but another part of her didn't. Lois loved Jason more than she had the words to describe, but she knew what would happen once the baby was born and she knew that taking care of two children would not be easy. As they drove on Lois shut her eyes and was soon asleep.

* * *

On the floor close to the TV, Jason the Dalmatian rested on his belly with his chin propped up on his hands as he watched 101 Dalmatians on TV. Today he had been allowed to play outside and had been upset when it was time to go into the house. He had gotten a bath right after that and had to take a nebulizer treatment along with his vitamins and other medications. As Pongo and Perdita tried to get all of the puppies loaded onto a truck, Jason quietly cheered them on not wanting Cruella De Vil to find them. He had seen the movie several times but this part in the film always excited him. When the door of the house opened Jason continued to watch the movie, even though it was his mommy and daddy coming into the house.

Martha heard the door and came out of the kitchen from where she had been making preparations for dinner, finding her son and Lois home. "Is anything wrong?" she asked after Lois headed back to the bedroom. She followed Clark back into the kitchen and watched as he sat down at the table. "Clark?"

"I'm worried about her, Mom," he finally answered as his mom sat down next to him. "I think if she had a choice in this, having another child would not be in the works for us, and maybe… I don't know," he admitted, feeling his mom take his hands to hold them.

"Lois will come around, Clark. When you first came to us we had struggles too. Some of those first nights you would cry and we wouldn't know what was wrong. You knew a few words but there wasn't a way you could tell us why you were crying. I think every parent has moments where they doubt their choices, and that isn't horrible, it is just human nature," she offered.

Clark had never considered any of his feelings to be more human in nature than Kryptonian and couldn't help but smile as he thought of his parents and their teachings. His Kryptonian father had told him he was not one of them and though he was not, the way that he thought and even these worries he had were very much human. Clark would always save lives as Superman but it was this life he had now with Lois and Jason, his parents and one day, the baby, that he most loved. "Thanks, Mom," he said as he stood up. The two of them hugged before he walked out in the family room. Clark gave his son a hug and kiss and went back to the bedroom finding Lois already asleep. For a moment, he stood at the door watching her sleep before he walked to the bed where he knelt down. Clark gave her a gentle kiss on the lips while he moved his right hand over her belly. "I love you," he whispered. Lois mumbled something but remained asleep, and after another moment of lingering there, Clark got up and headed out to their car, ready to get to work.

* * *

By the time 5:00 pm rolled around, the news room of the _Daily Planet_ was abuzz with activity. The Preliminary hearing was over and with all of the evidence presented to the judge, and despite the efforts of the DA's attorneys there would be a trial set against him in a month's time. The phones were ringing off the hook and everyone seemed to have an opinion

"It wasn't an easy hearing for either side, but the Judge thinks the best course of action is to let it go to trial complete with a jury," Officer Brown told Clark before he had to go.

While still jotting down notes and without looking, Clark hung his phone up and a second later it began to ring again. "Clark Kent." He dropped his pen when he heard Lois's sobbing cries. "Lois, what is it?"

"Come home, Clark," she said barely able to control her cries.

Along with her cries Clark could also hear Jason's and hung up the phone. He left everything the way it was and headed out of the office despite hearing Perry calling out for him. Clark found an elevator going up and as the doors closed he rose up through the hatch removing his cloths so that by the time he flew out of the shaft he was in his suit. Superman shot into the air and flew at top speeds toward his home. When he arrived over that part of the city he scanned the neighborhood in less than a second and then made a rapid descent to the back yard. His mom was at the door and looked shaken and as much as Superman wanted to talk to her Lois and Jason were his first priority. When he arrived at the master bedroom, Jason was asleep next to his mother and Lois was shaking. He crossed the room in three steps and held her in his arms very alarmed.

"Three men broke into the house while your parents were shopping," Lois managed feeling her heart beating a mile a minute. "I woke up hearing Jason screaming and I thought he was dreaming. When I walked out of my room I must have startled them, one of them grabbed me, and he drug me back in here. He told me if I made a sound he would kill Jason," Lois said as she felt the tears falling down her cheeks.

Clark felt a cold chill creeping down his spine and anger because he knew who had done this. "We need to go back to Bruce's," he said resolutely. It was obvious now that their home was no longer safe and that made Superman's hate for Lex even greater than it had been. "Did they do anything to Jason?"

"I don't know, I was so upset and he was, when your parents came home they found us in here and your mom told me she would call you but I needed to hear your voice. Damn Lex Luthor," she said holding on to him dear life.

Still holding on to Lois Superman reached over and grabbed the cell. He called Bruce's direct line and told his old friend what had happened. Bruce agreed that they needed to return to the mansion and invited his parents to come with them. Once their conversation ended, Superman hung up the phone and looked at the door as his mom came in with a mug of warm tea for Lois. "Mom we need to get things packed up. Bruce has agreed to let us stay with him, including you and Ben if you won't mind coming along. He could see in her eyes the pain she was in but she was also strong and nodded her head.

"I'll get Jason's things gathered up, and pack for Ben and I. Do you want us to load up the cars?"

"No, that's too much of a risk. I'll fly Lois and Jason there once it gets dark, and come back for you and Ben, and then the luggage." Superman remembered Perry and wasn't sure what he should tell him but knew he had to say something. He reached for the phone feeling Lois shaking again and left Perry a Message telling him that Jason had an asthma attack. As he hung up the phone, he realized that he needed to find a way to secure the lines at the _Planet _as well. "You should rest," he whispered feeling her head shake. He had never seen her this afraid and despite being fully clothed in the suit, Superman leaned them back against the pillows bringing his legs up, stretching out on the mattress as he rested on his back.. Right now he wanted to go out and find Lex Luthor but he knew that his family was at risk and he would not allow this to continue.

* * *

Flying with his mommy and daddy high in the sky was very exciting for Jason who had momentarily forgotten about the bad men. He had not been willing to tell his parents what they did to him and right now his thoughts were of what it would be like to be a real Dragon. He was wrapped up in a part of his father's cape and his back was pressed up firmly against his father's chest which allowed him to see the darkened land below him. All too soon his daddy slowed down and stopped high over the land and in a moment his mommy and daddy were holding him as they began to descend from the sky. "Daddy, I want to do that again," Jason said full of excitement.

"Not tonight," Superman said as they touched down on the soft grass in front of the house. He wasn't as worried about leaving his mom and Ben at the house because Bruce had sent over a few of his security guards from Wayne Tower to help keep them safe. As they arrived at the door and he was about to knock, it opened and Alfred greeted them.

"Master Bruce had some matters to attend to this evening. Let me show you to your rooms," he said as the passed through the doors. He shut them and locked them before he led the way to the stair well.

Their rooms were the same as last time, and once they were settled Alfred left them. Superman had noticed Jason's grasp around his neck getting tighter and held him close as he walked over to the bed that Lois was turning down for their son. "Shhh, no one will hurt you here, do your remember what I told you about this house?" he asked as Jason continued to hold on to him.

"Bruce made it very good to keep us all safe but the bad men will hurt mommy and me," Jason said not wiling to let go.

Superman sat down on the edge of the bed and didn't say anything as he gently rocked his son. Again his anger was great, because Jason had started to get over all of his fears and now they were back. With Lois' help he took the jacket Jason had been wearing off of him and held him until he fell asleep. He and Lois tucked him in and then she was in his arms. "I won't be long," he whispered.

"I know. I need to stay here with Jason," she replied as the parted. Lois watched as he went to the window, opened it and flew away. When he was gone, she shut it but kept it unlocked and pulled her arms around her as she felt a chill, not from the temperature of the house but merely from his absence. Quietly, she walked back to the bed and settled in next to their son. Tomorrow she and Jason both had appointments to see the doctor, and her fear was that Lex had injected him with something to get him sick again.

* * *

**AN:** _I have to thank Beeto for once again providing great Beta reading to this chapter and helping me with the Legal stuff against the DA. Lex is starting to make his move so be prepared. As always Review even if its a short one just so long as I know how you guys feel about this story. Yes Lois is weapy but she is pregnant and it goes with the teritory and don't worry she won't be so weapy in a few chapters.._

_Eviefan_


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 24: Wait and See**

Even though Dr. Becky Klein had found a puncture wound at the back of Jason's heal, the tests she had run on the blood drawn had proven inconclusive to any sort of viral components. There was still a danger that some sort of infection could occur from the wound itself, though the area had been cleaned out and Jason was on some antibiotics to try and ward off any sort of infection. All the family could do now was to wait and hope that the little boy would be okay.

Nearly two weeks had passed since that time and so far Jason was in good health. Clark had been back into space to help repair some slight damage done when he launched the space station, and in addition to their responsibilities at the _Planet_, he and Lois were going over the final design of the house which they wanted built relatively soon.

At 16 weeks, Lois was showing quite a bit and it seemed her waist line had expanded nearly over night. No one at work seemed to notice the change, though Lois knew it would only be a matter of time. Perry knew about the pregnancy and had offered Lois the job of assistant editor, something she was considering but weary of. Once the baby was born, she knew she would need time off to adjust to being the mother of a newborn again as well as helping Jason to adjust. If Perry made her assistant editor Lois knew how busy she would be and she wanted time to adjust. Of course, Clark would be there as well, but Lois already knew that she would nurse the baby for at least the first few months, and that required her presence.

There had been no luck finding Lex Luthor, either on a wide spread search, or trying to find out if he was spending any of the Vanderworth fortune. A few months ago, Lois had been in contact with one of Gertrude's great nieces and the family was still trying to get the money back, but with Lex nowhere to be found, the money had just seemed to vanish off the face of the earth, just like him. Clark and Bruce had spoken with Lois at great length about the invasion on the Kent home, but the men who came had worn masks and had been very careful not to leave anything that forensics could ID them with . None of the neighbors who were questioned had seen anything out of the ordinary, which left another dead end for Clark and Lois.

* * *

As she sat at her desk going over the notes that she had taken during her visit down at the east side construction site, Lois glanced from the pad of paper she was writing on over to Clark's desk. They had been ready to come back here when he heard a cry for help from a few blocks away, so Lois made the journey on her own. Her mind was still on what had happened a couple of weeks ago, and again she shook her head trying to focus on the notes she was taking so she could have her article ready by print time. As Lois finally began to make some headway, a flutter against the right side of her belly caught her attention. She looked around the office and felt the same flutter and realized what she was feeling. Lois put her pen down and got up heading out of the news room to the women's room when Clark stepped off the elevators. Despite her well prepared caution Lois couldn't help but smile as she saw him and grabbed his hand. She led him a more secluded area of the upper lobby behind some pillars. Once she was sure that they were not being watched she took his hand and guided it to her belly hoping that he might feel something. Lois waited and then sighed. "I felt the baby kick," she whispered.

Having Lois excited after her initial reaction to finding out they had to have a baby made him give off that goofy grin he was so famous for. Clark wanted to kiss her but he knew at work he couldn't. "Maybe we will have better luck tonight," he said as they casually walked back toward the news room.

"What took you away?" Lois asked in a quite voice as they headed for their desks.

"A little girl lost her mom." That was all the information that Clark had, and once at his desk he jiggled the mouse around bringing up the main screen. He brought up a word document, and after pulling his notes, he began to type out a rough copy of his article.

* * *

Today, Jason was a fierce red dragon, complete with dragon feet and scales. He was playing in his large bedroom while his Granny sat close by on a small sofa working on her knitting. The fierce red dragon swooped over the match box cars before he picked one up and began to eat the people inside. "ROAR," Jason shouted as he let the car drop to the floor. His new tutor Miss Angela had already been by and they had worked on his math, something he loved along with everything he was learning. As Jason took in a breath to blow fire on the remaining cars he coughed a little, and had to leave the fire breathing to get his inhaler from his bedside table.

Putting her knitting down beside her Martha watched as Jason took a puff from his inhaler. He had been coughing on and off this morning and she was worried about him. "Jason, come over here a moment," Martha said.

Jason did as he was told, pretending he was flying as he arrived in front of her. "Granny, do you know what we should do?" he asked.

Martha reached out and put her wrist on his head. He wasn't warm but she could tell he was a little out of breath. "What should we do?" Martha asked as she stood up and guided him over to his bed. She helped him climb onto the mattress and got a fresh canister for his nebulizer out of the bottom drawer of his bedside table. Once she had that attached she helped him get the mask over his face and plugged in the device.

"We need to make people cookies so I can eat them like a dragon would," Jason said making a face at having to breathe in the mist. He was restless until Martha turned on the TV that had been set up a few days ago, and once Jason had a movie to watch he settled down and focused on breathing in the mists that helped keep the airways in his lungs open.

By the time the treatment was finished, the movie reached the point where Aladdin stole the fruit from the vendor, and Jason was asleep. Martha carefully took the mask off of his face and pulled a blanket over him, again feeling his cheeks and head as she put the nebulizer away. She didn't want to see her grandson sick, and she wished her son could find the man responsible for all of this and make him pay for causing the family such heartache. As she sat back down to continue working on the blanket that she was knitting for the new baby, the door to Jason's room opened and Ben arrived back from his walk around the grounds.

It was very obvious from the worried look in Martha's eyes that something was amiss, and Ben was seated next to her in less than five seconds. "What is it?" he asked as she leaned into his arms.

"Jason has been coughing on and off this morning. He doesn't appear to have any sort of fever but he's had a few asthma attacks along with the coughing. Oh, Ben, I don't want to see him sick again," she whispered.

"Shh. Our Jason is a strong little boy, Martha, and he will get through this," he said, confident of that. Ben didn't want to see Jason sick either, but believed in positive thinking. Once Martha was feeling better, he told her about the beautiful garden just below the house in the back yard. "Maybe we can take a walk once Clark and Lois return home," he suggested, making her smile. Ben loved her more than he ever thought he could after a long life lived on his own. He felt at home with this family and considered Clark to be a surrogate son. "What are you making there?" He asked noticing her knitting.

"A blanket for the baby," she whispered letting him feel the softness of the light yellow yarn she had picked. They didn't know what gender the baby was and soft pastels like the yellow she was using could be for either a boy or a girl.

* * *

As they drove down the interstate heading for Gotham, Clark noticed how quiet Lois was and reached out, taking her left hand. "What's going on in that mind of yours?" he asked drawing her attention to him.

Lois sighed and managed a small smile. "I was just thinking that in another month or so, I'll have to give up being an investigative reporter. I also heard Polly talking to Maggie about us, and I know I shouldn't let that bother me, but it does. What right do they have to pass judgment on us? I know that we aren't married yet but we have a reason and maybe they have a point," Lois said as she took a breath and shut her eyes. She hated being this emotional and knew most of it had to do with the baby.

"Why don't we get married?" Clark asked as he pulled the car off to the side of the road so that he could look at her.

Lois looked at him and could tell he wasn't kidding her. "But what about Lex? And I'm not sure if I want to change my last name…" Lois was about to say more when he silenced her with a kiss.

"You don't have to change your name to Kent if you don't want to and given the fact that Luthor is still out there, it may be best to stick with Lane. As for your other worry about Lex, we can always have a small, private ceremony."

Lois knew she had been putting it off for far too long, and in all respects Clark, Jason and her were already family. All they lacked was the legal status. "I'm not sure how we can do this, or how long we should wait but it would make me feel better to be married to you," she admitted as they shared another kiss.

After that kiss, Clark returned to the road and they headed to the manor to see their little boy and tell him the good news along with Clark's parents.

* * *

Jason looked at the pieces on the chess board, focusing on what Bruce had just done. He knew his queen was in danger of being taken and he liked that Bruce didn't let him win all the time. "I know there has to be a move," he muttered as he reached out for his only remaining pawn. He touched it and then moved his hand away and looked at Bruce. "This is very hard to do," he admitted.

"You are right, but you haven't lost yet," Bruce said. This little boy might someday take the place of his father. Jason was very smart and level headed for one so young, and it was his hope that maybe Clark would allow him to be a part of his training when and if Jason decided to help the world. He still felt that Clark's views were a bit idealistic and hoped that with both of them training him that Jason would become a far better superhero than either of them.

Before he could make his move, Jason heard his parents and instantly the game was forgotten. He slid off the chair and started to run to them but stopped and walked remembering that running made his cough get bad. His Granny had been worried about him and Jason didn't want to have anyone poking him. "Mommy, Daddy. Bruce was playing chess with me and I didn't win but I like it because I can learn from it," the small boy said as his father picked him up.

As Clark gave Jason a hug his little boy coughed and quickly he looked over at Lois. "Hey, how are you feeling?" he asked.

"Very good. Granny is going to make people cookies for me so I can eat them just like a real dragon," Jason said as he yawned.

Bruce finished putting the chess pieces away and was ready to head up to his room to get ready for his night on the town when Jason called out to him. He turned toward the boy and his father and when Jason asked him if they could play chess again tomorrow, Bruce smiled. "I would be happy to play that with you," he agreed. He bid the family good night and set off for his room.

Once Bruce was gone, with Jason still in his arms, Clark reached out and took Lois's hand and the two of them headed for the kitchen where they knew Alfred would have dinner waiting.

* * *

By the time Becky arrived, Jason was already asleep, and without waking the young man, she listened to his chest and took his temperature using a thermometer she ran across his forehead. Superman had flown her to the house from Star Labs and after jotting down a few things on Jason's chart she addressed his parents. "He has a little congestion build up but no fever so this may be allergies. At this time of year, that isn't entirely uncommon. We do need to monitor him closely and I want to go ahead and give him a shot of Amoxicillin to boost the antibiotics that he is already taking.

"Could any of this have to do with Luthor?" Lois asked. She heard what Becky had told Clark, but it could also have something to do with the attack and the reason for the puncture wound found on Jason's heal.

"Something would have shown up when we took his blood sample after the attack but given the complexity of the last virus I can't rule out that it just hasn't had time to show up in his system. I was going to wait until morning but I do want to take a sample of blood from him to make sure there isn't something more going on with him.

When both parents agreed, Becky went to her bag and got what she needed. Jason didn't even stir as she found the vein that was easiest to get blood from and after cleaning off the area with Clark and Lois gently holding him she stuck the needle in to him.

Jason woke and started to cry instantly but when Lois began to stroke her fingers through his hair and hum a soft lullaby to him, he settled down.

After getting the blood sample, Becky had Clark ease Jason onto his left side and pull his pajama bottoms down. Jason stirred this time and really cried when she gave him the shot.

"Its okay, buddy," Clark said as he pulled Jason's pajama bottoms back up before he lifted him off of the bed and held him in his arms. He didn't like this anymore than his son but knew that they had to be careful, and try to get rid of his symptoms before they got any worse.

"It hurts," Jason sobbed as his daddy rocked him and his mommy rubbed her hand over his back. As much as it hurt the little guy was so tired that in less than a minute he was nearly asleep.

Once their son was back to sleep and Superman had flown Becky back to Star Labs, Lois and her fiancé rested comfortably in their bed. "Maybe after Lex is found, I will change my last name to Kent," Lois mumbled against Clark's bare chest. It was becoming difficult for her to rest with part of her body draped over Clark but she liked that position and felt comforted being held in his arms. She was almost asleep when she felt the flutter only this time on her left side. "Clark," Lois said as she sat up. She reached out, took his hand and after lifting up the shirt she had on, she pressed his fingers where she had felt the flutter.

Clark waited and in a moment he felt the lightest flutter against his fingers. All at once he felt connected to this little one. He had felt connected since finding out, but feeling the baby move within Lois's belly was solid proof that their little one was there and well. "I love you," he said as he moved his hand away from her belly. He reached out with his other hand and gently pulled her toward him and the two of them shared a loving kiss shared between two people very much in love with the life they were building.

* * *

The blood test didn't reveal anything and they hoped that both the shot and the oral antibiotics would prevent Jason from getting truly ill.

Clark and Lois announced their plans to marry after dinner a few nights later, and after telling Martha and Ben, Lois phoned her sister who now had a secure line of her own and told her the good news. "We are going before a judge. I know it isn't fancy but we have to be careful. Do you mind telling Mom and Dad? You will need to drive up to DC and do it in person until we find a way to get a secure phone for them," Lois said.

On her end, Lucy couldn't be more excited. She loved her sister and had come to adore Clark Kent. "I think I can manage that. Mom has been after me to come up there anyway, so now I have a good reason," Lucy said, laughing as both Lucky and her new puppy, Buster, jumped on her sofa. Her other dog had been hit by a car and once Lucy got over the shock, she adopted another puppy from the pound. "Listen, I better go. These two are in need of a walk. Do you want them to come and do I get to come?"

That was the hard part and Lois sighed. "I want you to, but the fewer people we have here the better. Lex is a dangerous person and he would stop at nothing to hurt my family or anyone else he thinks will lead him here."

Again, Lucy felt in the dark. She knew that her sister had covered Superman stories for a long time and had been told that Lex was targeting her for some of the pieces she had written in the past. "Look, you two take pictures and maybe one of these days after Lex is found we can have a real ceremony or at least the General could foot the bill and give you a killer party." Both of them laughed at that and afterwards hung up. "Okay girls, lets get this show on the road," Lucy said to the two dogs.

Once she got off the phone with Lucy, Lois walked across the hall to Jason's room and found both father and son in his double bed as Jason practiced his reading. Having a tutor had already improved many of his skills, and now he was reading with great ease compared to the way it was on his birthday.

"Mommy, if I keep practicing really good, can I read to the baby when they get here?"

When he said they Lois walked over to the bed. "Jason, there is only one baby in my belly," she said as she reached out and ruffled his hair.

"I know, but we don't know if the baby is a boy or a girl and I don't like saying it all the time. They sounds better to me," he offered, making his mommy smile.

"I think that your baby brother or sister would love to have you read to them. Did you know that you can start practicing right now?" Lois said as Clark and Jason made room in bed for her. She explained that the baby should be able to hear them now, and although he or she would likely not understand what was being said that Jason's voice would be welcome. Before Jason got too far along, Lois felt that familiar flutter and took Jason's hand pressing his fingers against the spot on the left side of her belly.

"What was that?" Jason asked as his eyes grew large.

"The baby is moving around in there." Both Jason and Clark took turns feeling the baby kick before Jason continued with one of his Paddington stories. He finished the entire book without much help from either parent and after they tucked him in and said goodnight Jason thought about being a big brother. He was excited and hoped that he would have a baby brother so that he could teach him all the things he loved, such as climbing on their swing set or running around the yard chasing Lucky. Jason's last thoughts as he drifted to sleep were of playing with his new brother and teaching him all about Dragons and how to be like one.

* * *

**A.N.:** _Thank you to all who read and review and even to those who don't review and just read though it does help to review...Hint... As always a heartfelt thank you goes out to Beeto who has been an awesome Beta reader and who has helped me improve as a writer..THANKS..._

_Eviefan_


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter 25: Marriage and Family**

Getting married to the man she loved was supposed to be a time for celebration, with family and close friends. Lois knew that she couldn't have everyone she wanted there and then there was the inevitable fact that she couldn't even go out to find a suitable dress. She and Clark still had work and she was grateful for the fact that she could still go to the _Planet_ and do her job, though her time for that seemed to be coming to a rapid end. Once again, Lois had spent nearly two hours on line ordering maternity clothing and she even had to use a different name. The cloths were being sent to a post office box in Gotham where Alfred would retrieve them once they arrived.

While Lois worried about work and finding clothing that would both fit her and keep her pregnancy hidden, Martha and Ben headed out to a local department store where they bought new cloths for their growing grandson who was fighting off a head cold. Both of them had the measurements they needed from Lois and spent most of the afternoon on a Thursday shopping. They also bought new cloths for the wedding and then went to lunch at a Greek place in the nicer part of Gotham not far from where they had shopped.

Once again, Clark was very aware that Lois was not happy and for that matter, neither was he. The only thing he wanted was to be married to her and like her, he wished that their close friends could attend but thanks to Luthor that would be too risky. As he sat at his desk, he listened to the conversation Lois was having with her parents and doubted the wisdom of giving them a secure cell phone to use, knowing the stress they were putting his love through. Lois was on her secure line, though that would no longer be necessary in a few weeks, once Wayne Enterprise had finished installing the security upgrades at the _Planet_.

"Dad I'm aware that you and mom want to come to this but this just sort of came up," Lois tried as she shut her eyes. She wanted to bang her head against her desk but knew she would draw unwanted attention if she did.

"Lois, your Mom and I have been understanding about Jason, but you're the first daughter to be married and we want to be there for you." Sam's mindset had altered drastically since finding out his grandson was battling what he had been told was Leukemia, though this new development in his daughter's life was something he didn't understand nor did he understand why they needed a secure mobile device.

Again, Lois sighed and took a deep breath rubbing her belly as she felt the baby fluttering inside. "Do you remember Lex Luthor? He is the reason why we can't have a big celebration and why you have that phone. He has made a few threats and along with Jason's illness, we feel a small private wedding would be the safest way. When this is all over, we will have a larger celebration. Clark and I can't even go on a honeymoon," she whispered looking around to make certain that no one could hear her.

Hearing that his daughter was being threatened by a madman made Sam weary. "Lois, what can I do to help find Luthor?" He heard her sigh and knew that she wasn't going to allow his help. Sometimes he thought he had raised her too well and made her too independent. "Look, honey, just be safe and let us know if we can help you with any of this, okay?"

Relief flooded into her heart and for the second time in the past month, Lois wondered how her bull-headed father had become so cooperative. "Thanks, Daddy. I'll call you soon." Once she hung up Lois focused on work and picked up her work phone to call down to the east side construction area and talk to a contact there claiming that the company wasn't following safety code standards that most new buildings were required to follow.

* * *

Having to stay in bed and rest was not fun, even with his favorite movies to watch. Jason had on a pair of warm pajamas and was grumpy. Halloween was in one night and he knew now that he couldn't go trick or treating because of his sickness and that added to his being grumpy and sad. The little boy sneezed and squeezed his eyes closed because that made his head hurt.

Ben noticed Jason's reaction to the sneeze and walked over to his bedside. "Jason, do you want the cool compress?" he asked reaching his hand out to feel Jason's forehead. He had a slight fever and Becky was aware of that, which was why they were keeping him in bed.

"I want to get up, Pappa. I don't like bed," he mumbled feeling sleepy.

"Why don't you and I share a story," suggested Ben as he sat down on the edge of the mattress.

Jason shook his head keeping his eyes shut and felt the bed shift as his Pappa stood up. The tired little boy heard him say to rest, and heard the door open and shut. Once his Pappa was gone Jason rolled on his left side and let the tears silently fall. He missed Rebecca and Petey along with the rest of his friends at school, and even though he liked Miss Gretchen, it wasn't the same as being around all of his friends.

* * *

Luthor sat at his desk listening as Robert told him about the house. The family had moved out and his attempts to trail Lois Lane and her partner Clark Kent into the Daily Planet had failed. Security had been beefed up and Lex was aware that they were likely getting help from Bruce Wayne since one of his contacts had been able to follow the two reporters to Gotham. His suspicions that the Billionaire playboy was helping them also came from the knowledge that the _Planet_ was now owned by Wayne Enterprises though he couldn't be sure without further investigation. His plan to make Superman suffer was failing miserably and without that plan succeeding, nothing else he wanted would come to pass. "I want you to find them. Go to Gotham City find a way to spy on them at Bruce Wayne's Mansion. I don't care what you have to do and take Marcus with you," Lex said as he broke the pen he had been holding in his hands. As the ink seeped out of his clinched fist Lex's face turned red and he watched as the man left his office in a hurry.

* * *

It was well past dinner when Lois and Clark arrived home. Her contact at the pier had given her some information but no proof, though when Clark scanned the future home of Metro Casino he could see some structural instability in the foundation of the building. Tomorrow they would have to find a way to get the designs of the building and find out if what Mr. Williams was telling them had some truth to it or if it was simply an act of blind negligence.

As they entered the house, Alfred greeted them, taking their coats for them. It was difficult for both Lois and Clark to get used to having him wait on them but he would not take _'no'_ for an answer so they had quickly gotten used to it.

"Master Jason hasn't been eating well today. His condition is the same but I think he may be upset about having to stay in bed. I will bring your supper up to his room," Alfred informed them as he headed to the kitchen once their coats had been hung in the hall closet.

After changing into clean clothes and washing their hands, both Clark and Lois went across the hall to Jason's room. There they found their son playing on his bed with his cars while Clark's mom sat on the sofa to the right of Jason's bed reading a book.

Jason gave his red truck a push and let it fly off the bed then shut his eyes in effort not to sneeze. His nose was really stuffy and he didn't feel well at all. Despite his efforts, he did sneeze and rubbed his head. That was when he felt a hand on his head and when he opened his eyes and found his mommy there. Jason abandoned his toys for a hug. "I want to go trick or treating," Jason said as he rested his right cheek against her shoulder.

"I know, Munchkin. I wish you could, but we will have a fun time tomorrow night and you can still dress up," Lois tried as she turned her head slightly to the right to kiss Jason's cheek. She could tell by the sound of his voice that he was all stopped up and looked over at Martha. "When was his last dose of medicine?"

"Almost four hours ago," she replied as she gathered her things. Before Martha left to go to the room she and Ben were using, she walked over to the bed and kissed her grandson goodnight, though not getting much of a response from him. Martha gave her son a hug and then left the room hoping that a good night sleep would help Jason feel better.

It had been a while since Jason had been this congested and Lois knew the things they needed to help that. "Clark, can you go out and get a few things for our son?" Lois asked as Jason still held on to her. When he agreed, Lois found some paper and managed to write down what she wanted. As he left, Alfred came with dinner: Soup for Jason and chicken wraps for her and Clark. "Jason, Alfred has your supper," Lois whispered as her son lifted his head from her shoulder. She helped him get settled back against his pillows and then put the tray over his lap.

His belly was hungry, though when Jason took a bite of the soup there wasn't any taste and that topped off his miserable day. He let the spoon fall into the bowl and covered his face with his hands drawing his mother's attention.

"What's wrong baby," Lois asked as she sat next to him.

"I can't even taste it," Jason said, keeping his face covered. His nose hurt on the inside and so did his head.

"I'm sorry, Jason," Lois said sympathetically as she gently put her left arm around him. He calmed down a bit and she managed to get him to eat most of the soup. As he was finishing, Clark returned with the things she had asked for. "Take the bottle of Vapor Bath and pour two cap fulls in the tub, make the water as warm as Jason can tolerate," Lois instructed as she moved the tray away from her son. Her own tummy was grumbling but right now, Jason's needs had to come before her own. Lois knew she had to take care of herself for the baby's sake but this baby needed her more at the moment.

"Mommy, I don't want to have a bath," Jason whined trying to breathe through his nose.

"I know you don't, but Daddy got something that will help you breathe better and sleep better," Lois replied as she helped him get his shirt off. Jason no longer had to worry about his ears in the water because on his last well exam before all of this had started the tubes had fallen out and aside from the one bad infection he had a few months back nothing else like that had happened. Once Jason was undressed, Lois walked him to the bathroom and let Clark take over so she could eat.

* * *

Two hours later, Jason was finally asleep. Clark had bought a humidifier and that along with the cream Lois had rubbed on his chest and under his nose seemed to be helping to break up all of that congestion. In the privacy of their room, the couple spent some much needed time alone unwinding from the busy day they had just been through.

With the full body massage her fiancé had just given her, Lois was fully relaxed as she rested in their bed. She could no longer rest on her belly and be comfortable so he had given her two pillows to hold as she rested on her right side. As he slipped into bed behind her Lois sighed. "Thank you for that," she murmured as she felt his hand move over her belly.

"You're welcome," he whispered pulling her closer. He felt her sigh and knew she was already worrying about something, and wanted nothing more than to take her far away from any worries even though he knew neither of them would leave Jason alone at this difficult time in his life. "So what are you thinking about?" he finally asked.

"Jason, as usual," she replied still totally relaxed in his arms. "I hate this for him. I feel totally powerless to help him and I don't like that," she admitted.

Clark rubbed his hand over her belly feeling fluttering beneath his finger tips as he did. "I hate it, too, Lois, but he won't have too much longer to go before he can start to truly heal."

"I know this sounds selfish, but I miss spending time alone with you. I would love one night out on the town where we knew Jason would be safe and that no one would hurt him or us." As she finished Lois moved a little away from him and turned over with his help so that she could see Clark. "We are going to be married in a week and I want some time alone with the man I love more than just the time at night before Superman is needed or before our son needs us."

All Clark could do was pull her into his arms and hold her. He wanted to give her everything, give his family what ever they needed but because of Lex Luthor they were prisoners in this house. "I'll find a way to make it up to you when this is all over with," he said as he tilted his head down and kissed her forehead. As she drifted to sleep Clark wondered if a night on the town was possible. He knew Jason and his parents were safe here and he knew they could find a way to enjoy themselves without too much danger. Tomorrow he would try and find the time to talk to Bruce to see what could be arranged.

* * *

It took two days to plan but Bruce set them up to have dinner in New York City at the Rainbow Room. A private Jet would fly them from just outside of Gotham to the city for an evening of fine dining and dancing. During the day on Sunday the family spent time together outside in the gardens. Jason was still not feeling his best but being outside seemed to pick up his spirits a bit. Seated on a bench beside his mom Jason had his hand resting on her belly as they watched some birds splashing in a fancy birth bath. "Mommy, do you and Daddy have to go away tonight?" he asked as he leaned his head against her side swinging his legs which hung off of the bench they were sitting on.

"No, we don't have to Jason but sometimes we need some time just for the two of us. That doesn't mean that we love you any less," she said hugging him close.

Jason yawned and rubbed his eyes. "But I could go too and I would be really, really quiet," he offered. Again he felt his mommy give him a hug and shut his eyes. "When Daddy and Bruce find the bad man will he get a bad punishment?"

"I think so, Munchkin. Now we need to head back inside," Lois said as she stood up. She helped Jason to his feet and took his hand. Clark had been with them until Alfred came out and told him that there was a train derailment in Metropolis, which had left Lois time alone with her little boy. Once they were inside, Lois got Jason settled in bed with a good movie and headed off to her bedroom to start getting ready for an evening out with her fiancé.

* * *

Helping with the train derailment had taken longer than Superman wanted and by the time he arrived at the house he had less than ten minutes to get ready. He chose to enter through the window in the bedroom he and Lois were sharing and when he stepped inside and saw her he suddenly couldn't remember what he was supposed to do. Lois had on a dark gown that went down past her knees almost to her ankles. The dress had a low cut neck and the material he realized was silk. There was a slit going from the bottom of the dress on her left side up to her thigh and she looked beautiful.

"Don't get any ideas," Lois said upon seeing that look in his eyes. She knew what he wanted because she wanted the same thing. However, they did have a date tonight and she didn't want that spoiled. "I promised Jason a quick story," Lois said as she began to walk to the door. As she reached out to grasp the knob she felt his arm wrap around her rest and was pressed with her back against his chest. "One kiss," she said as she turned around and before she could say another word he was kissing her as his hands roamed down her sides. They stopped when they heard Jason on the other side of the door and in a moment Superman was gone and Lois heard the water in the shower start to run. "I'm coming Jason," she called out as she found her voice and her breath.

* * *

Two hours later, seated by one of the windows overlooking the west side of Manhattan, Lois was looking at the menu with the man she loved. "All of this sounds so wonderful, but look how expensive it is," she said.

"Bruce took care of that for us," Clark told her. He had been surprised when Bruce told him not to worry about the money. Apparently, he knew the owners and had worked something out with them which was why they had gotten seats in such a wonderful spot. As the music played from the live band on the revolving dance floor, Clark thought about holding Lois in his arms, but then their waiter arrived and the decision at least for the first course needed to be made.

Lois gave the menu one last look over before she took a sip of water and began her order. "I would like the Gazpacho soup, with the small house salad. For the main course I would like the Fried Calamari."

"What would you like to drink?" asked the waiter as she told him her answer which was a large glass of iced tea. Once she ordered he took the order of the gentlemen and then left them to head back to the kitchen.

Clark had been surprised by her order but then he remembered how good Calamari was and followed her lead on that. "You look beautiful," he said.

Lois smiled at him feeling very self conscious about her body. The dress she had on was one of three fancy dresses she had left over from her pregnancy with Jason. She had forgotten the things she had put into storage in Lucy's basement until the other day when the packages had arrived at their PO Box. "I know people can tell that I'm pregnant and it is strange to be out in public like this," she admitted, still feeling weary about Luthor and his goons.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to let anything ruin this evening for us," he whispered as their appetizers arrived.

* * *

After a fine meal which included dessert, Lois was beginning to tire, though when Clark asked her to dance she couldn't refuse. Now on the dance floor and held in his arms, she felt like she was floating on a cloud. The band music was soothing and slow and she had her right cheek pressed against his chest glad that her waist size wasn't so large that they would have to find other ways to dance. All of her worries had finally melted away and Lois knew this was the man she wanted to be with. She was no longer afraid and would fight for her family right beside him.

Having this time with Lois was a rare gift and again Clark was indebted to Bruce for all of this. He was aware of everyone in the room and knew they were safe as they continued their slow dance on the wooden floor. When the music ended Lois lifted her head and the couple shared a gentle kiss before they made their way back to their table. Clark held Lois's chair as she sat down and then slid it in before he returned to his seat.

"I don't want this to end," admitted Lois as she reached out to take his hand.

"It doesn't have to. My mom and Ben have Jason with them tonight. I helped them move a cot in their room so that we could have the rest of the night alone," he said giving her a silly grin.

They sat around talking about normal things without worry and when they were ready to leave, Clark helped Lois with her long coat before taking her hand and leading her out of the dining area to the elevators. Once the doors closed, the couple shared a passionate kiss - one that would have lasted longer had the elevator not arrived at its stopping place. Reluctantly, they parted and walked out into the lobby and then into the cool night air where their limo was waiting to take them to the airport.

Once they were boarded on the plane, Clark pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to Lois.

"What did you do?" she asked as she un-wrapped the box and then opened it. Inside was a beautiful Crystal necklace that went with the earrings she had gotten last Christmas. "Oh, Clark," Lois said as she took the necklace out of the velvet box. The Crystal was three inches in length and at came to a point at the bottom where all of the sides met.

"That is Kryptonian crystal, and it is more than a necklace. I had it made to keep you safe. If you wrap your hand around it, I will know by a special device similar a beeper that I will keep with me."

Lois was deeply moved by the care he had taken to keep her safe and leaned into his embrace. "Thank you for this," she managed.

"You don't have to thank me, Lois," he said as he tilted her head up. He brought his lips against hers and kissed her slowly savoring her taste and the feel of her lips as they parted. He darted his tongue into her mouth and could hear her heart racing nearly in tune with his own.

* * *

The next morning before breakfast, Clark sat down with his son and gave him a special necklace. It had a smaller version of the Crystal Lois's necklace held but was more masculine, and worked like Lois's. The added feature to Jason's necklace was that it had a small chip in the center of the crystal that would allow Clark to track him if he was taken or if he wandered off like he was prone to do. "Now you have to promise me that you won't use this unless it is a true emergency," Clark said as he helped Jason put it on.

"I will be extra careful, Daddy." Jason laughed as his daddy began to tickle him and when he stopped he wanted to play more only his mom came in and told him it was time to get dressed and get ready for his tutor to arrive. "Mommy, did you see what Daddy gave me?" asked Jason as Lois helped him get his pajama top off.

Lois smiled at Clark as he left the room and then kissed their little boy on the top of his head. "I do see that and you have to be very careful with how you use it," she said as she pulled a soft cotton long sleeved shirt over his head. It was starting to get cooler outside and Lois wanted Jason to stay warm. Once he was dressed, they both went across the hall to get her things and then headed downstairs to have breakfast as a family.

* * *

Mondays had been, and Lois guessed, always would be the busiest day of the week, with the exception of days when a large story broke. When she and Clark arrived, there was a manila envelope on her desk. When she opened it, she found a note from the man that she and Clark had interviewed at the docks along with a copy of the building plans and a list of the things that were being overlooked in the construction design.

"What do you have?" Clark asked as he walked up behind Lois's chair. In a moment he held in his hands the plans of the building and the list that Roberto had sent along with it. "This is proof, but why," Clark said as he flipped through the pages.

"It doesn't make any sort of since, unless they don't have enough money to pay for the right kind of supports… but this is a multi million dollar company," Lois replied also baffled by what they were seeing. "Do you still think _he_ has anything to do with this?"

"Yes, but he has hidden his involvement well. I need to find him before he can hurt you or Jason," Clark whispered knowing that talking about it here was risky. He headed back to his desk knowing that he and Lois would need more information before they could publish anything.

* * *

With so much open space on the Wayne property, trying to find a way to spy on anyone was damn near impossible. Marcus knew his boss wanted him to nab the kid but along with the danger of Superman, he was well aware of Batman's presence in this city and if he had to be caught by one of them Superman would be his choice. It was a well known fact that Batman didn't mind hurting anyone he caught, where as Superman had a more reserved approach. In back of the house was a wooded area across 25 acres of land, and it was there that Marcus found a tree sturdy enough to climb and set up a way to video the house to try and get site of the activities.

By noon there hadn't been anything to film and as Marcus was about to drift off he heard laughter and focused in on the house, scanning the area until he found who he had been after to get pictures of. The kid looked healthy and he knew that would really make his boss angry. He took shots of the boy playing with a red rubber ball chasing it around while an elderly man watched after him. Marcus got several good shots and observed them at play for nearly an hour. There was no sign of Superman anywhere and he knew that Batman usually only worked by night. If he was going to take the boy this time of day would be the best time. Once they were gone, Marcus packed up his things and climbed out of the tree he had been sitting in. He went through the woods and came out the other side where he had parked his car in some overgrowth. Once he had what he needed, he headed out toward the main road ready to report back to Metropolis and see what his boss wanted to do next.

* * *

Seeing that the boy was indeed a picture of health had infuriated Lex Luthor. He threw the camera across the room and broke it and then yelled at Marcus for over a half hour before he finally cooled off. Now he sat in silence as contemplated what he needed to do, and the more he thought about it the more he knew that they would have to take Jason from his family and those who could help him. "Marcus, we need to find a way to get that boy away from his family, though this time it won't be as simple." Lex Luthor was no fool and knew that Superman likely had a way to know when that boy was in danger. He also knew who Bruce Wayne was: a man with limitless funds and someone who could likely find a way to keep Superman and his family safe.

"How we going to do that boss? It was luck that I found them outside without anyone looking out for them and I doubt we could storm that house," Marcus said before he shut his mouth when his boss glared at him.

Luthor shut his eyes. "I am aware of that. You might have to have a few days to survey his comings and goings but you have to be gone before night fall. If I know Superman, he likely keeps watch over that house. Now leave me." When Marcus had gone, Lex began to ponder that. If Superman knew his son was in danger it would stand to reason that unless something was keeping him occupied he would be there to guard him. Luthor had been thinking a long time about Superman and what he did when there wasn't' anyone in the world needing his help. "No, it couldn't be that simple," Lex said as he got up and walked over to his bed where the morning addition of the Daily Planet rested. As he picked it up and scanned the front page a smile spread over his face, a horribly wicked smile that spelled trouble for those Superman loved the most.

* * *

Saturday November 11, 2007 turned out to be a beautiful day. The sun was shining and it was unseasonably warm. On this morning it was not an alarm that woke Lois out of her restful nights sleep but the smells of wonderful food and when she opened her eyes both Clark and Jason arrived with breakfast for all three of them. As Lois sat up, her son put the cups he had been carrying down and climbed into bed with her, happy to snuggle in her arms while Clark got breakfast ready to serve.

"Mommy, today we are going to get married," Jason said as a smile spread across his face nearly from ear to ear.

Lois hugged her little boy. "We sure are," she said as Clark placed a tray of food on her lap. Today was bittersweet for her. She was excited about finally being Clark Kent's wife, but she wished her sister and her parents could be there as well as their friends. As Lois took a bite of light fluffy pancakes, she pushed the sad thoughts out of the way, determined not to let them spoil this time with her two guys.

"What if a drop the rings or I lose them?" Jason was saying. He was going to be their ring bearer and was nervous about such a big responsibility.

Clark hugged his little boy as they began to polish off the breakfast Alfred had made for them. "The rings will be placed on a special pillow and until we take them off you won't be able to drop them," Clark explained and was happy when his little boy seemed to feel better.

* * *

Right at 4:00 pm, as she held on to Ben's arm, Lois entered the large Parlor which had been decorated for the wedding. Instead of a judge, a minister from Martha's church back in Smallville stood at the far end of the room smiling at Lois as she walked toward her future. Lois looked at the man she loved and her little boy and couldn't help the smile on her face. Jason looked handsome in his new suit and Clark looked spectacular. Bruce Wayne stood by his side, and not to far off from them stood Martha and Alfred.

When they approached the preacher, Clark stepped out and took Lois's hand before they both faced Reverend James Holland. Two days ago, Martha announced that she had spoken with Reverend Holland who had agreed to marry them. He arrived yesterday and both Clark and Lois had talked to him about their commitment to one another and to Jason. He had prayed with them, something Lois hadn't done in a long, long time and given them his blessing.

Reverend Holland knew of the circumstances that faced the young couple, the threats from Lex Luthor and what he had tried to do to their boy. Ordinarily, he would have insisted that they have several months of counseling before being married but he knew that in this case it wasn't possible. Yesterday, he had seen the love the two of them had and he knew the kind of man Clark Kent had grown up to be. He didn't know very much about Lois Lane, though he trusted Clark's judgment and smiled at he began. "Friends and family, we gather here today to bring together this family in the vows of holy matrimony. Before we begin, I would like to say a prayer for them."

Everyone bowed their heads and Jason shifted from side to side as the reverend said the prayer. He was excited about his mom and dad being married but even more so about the really good food he had seen in the dining room. The reverend finished his prayer and Jason looked at Bruce who gave him a wink, which made the little boy smile again. His dad was saying the same things the reverend was and then it was time for him to have the ring. Jason looked at both of them and found the small one and handed it to his dad. He watched as his father slid the ring onto his mom's finger and again he smiled. A moment later, his mom was saying the same things the preacher was saying, and in a moment it was time for him to give her his dads ring. Jason did it again without dropping it. He managed to stay quiet until his mommy and daddy got to kiss and then he giggled before they parted and the Reverend said that they were a family now. "Does that mean we can eat the yummy food?" Jason asked and blushed as the adults around him laughed before agreeing to go to the dining room.

* * *

Upon arriving in the dining room and seeing the wedding cake, Lois turned toward Alfred who smiled at her. She had not expected all of this and walked over to the older gentlemen. "How can I ever thank you for this?" she asked.

"There is no need to. It has been my pleasure to help take care of your family." He accepted her hug and then got down to the task of serving up the food that Marie and her daughter Rosa had prepared for the family. Marie had been hired when Bruce came back to do most of the cooking, though for the larger celebrations her daughter usually came to lend a hand.

Jason was happy to eat the chicken and snow peas and tried to sneak some of the desserts he found on the tables but his Granny had good eyes, even better than his dad's, which frustrated the young boy. Off in his own little corner Jason was pouting and didn't smile as Alfred came over to him.

"What is wrong, master Jason? I thought you were happy to have your mum and father married."

"I am, but I want some dessert and Granny won't let me have any of it."

Alfred smiled at the little boy. "Come with me. I think I have something you are allowed to eat." Alfred held out his hand and when Jason took it he lead the boy out of the dining room and down a small hall to the kitchen. Alfred opened the refrigerator and found the brownies that Rosa had made especially for Jason. "Now then, how about this." He let Jason have two of them and smiled when the little boy headed back to the party.

Not long after Jason arrived back in the dining room his parents were ready to cut the fancy layered wedding cake. In hopes that he could have some of that, Jason stuffed the remaining bites of brownie in his mouth.

Clark took the serving knife and cut off a small piece. He waited and let Lois do the same. When she was ready he wound his arm around hers and offered her the bite of cake he had while he accepted what she offered him. That was followed by a sip of wonderful champagne and a kiss before Alfred came to serve the rest of the guests' cake. The two of them found a place a little away from the rest of their family and Clark hugged his wife in his arms. "How are you feeling?"

"Excited. Happy. I feel like there is not one thing that can touch us now," she said praying that their worries would soon be behind them. Lois smiled as a Clark kissed her and then parted when they saw Bruce approaching them.

"I wasn't sure when you two would be ready, but I have a car waiting to take you to my plane. I have made arrangements for you two to spend the night in New York at the Waldorf Astoria in the Honey Moon suite."

Before they could thank him Alfred arrived whispering something in Bruce's ear and a moment later he was gone.

"Are you ready to go?" Clark asked as Lois nodded her head. They two of them spotted Jason talking to Clark's mom and rather than upset him they managed to slip out and get their bags packed for their honeymoon.

* * *

"I don't want you to go," Jason said with is arms folded in front of his chest. "What if I have a bad dream, and what if the bad man wants to take me away?" Jason was standing in the large Foyer in the front of the house trying his best to get his mom and dad not to leave him.

Clark knelt down on one knee and tried to hug his son but Jason shrugged away. "Jason we will be back before lunch tomorrow, and we will have the rest of the day to spend with you," Clark tried.

"If you go away I won't love you any more," he said pursing his lips.

Lois stepped between them. "That is enough young man!" Lois hugged him when he started to cry. "I know you miss us when we leave, Baby, but your daddy is right: we will have all day tomorrow to be with you. You will have a great time with Granny and Pappa and tomorrow will be here before you know it."

In the end, Ben had to pry Jason away from his mom and both parents left the house feeling guilty. They knew that Jason's fit had likely been caused by being overly tired and because of all the sugar he had eaten after the wedding. As the car drove them toward Bruce's private air field, Lois leaned against Clark's shoulder feeling happy and content. She was determined not to worry about anything tonight and was excited about spending the night alone with the man she loved, her husband.

* * *

**AN:** _Thanks as always goes out ot Beeto for editing for me. Alright I need reviews please please review because they really help...Thanks _

_Eviefan_


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 26: Taken**

For two weeks Marcus watched the activities at the house during the day, heeding his boss's warnings to clear out of there before four o'clock. Jason played outside on the good days and usual only his grandparents seemed to accompany him. A few times, the little boy had ventured close to the woods and Marcus knew that once he had the kid, he would have to get to his car and have the Kryptonite that the boss had supplied him with ready.

Aside from work and now that they had their plans set, Clark was spending the nights no one needed Superman working on the house. The men Bruce hired had already dug out the basement and Superman had completed the tunnel around the time they finished pouring the concrete on the floors and securing the walls in the basement. The work was going slower than what he liked but in another month or two, the house would be complete and his family would be safe.

* * *

Lois sat back against the pillows in bed smiling as Clark rested his cheek against her bare belly. She was now 20 weeks along and there was no denying that she was pregnant. A few people at work had begun to notice, including Jimmy who agreed not to make a big deal once they had confirmed that for him. Right now their little one was being very active and Lois was enjoying having Clark there this time around.

The little flutters against his cheek assured Clark that their newest child was healthy, and Dr. Sanderson was also pleased with the baby's progress and growth. Lois's last appointment two days ago had included an ultrasound and again she had refused to know the sex of their baby, wanting it to be a surprise. Clark lifted his cheek from her belly and placed a kiss there before he pulled her shirt back down. It was night and this was time for just the two of them. "What does that feel like for you?" he asked as he settled back against the pillows gathering her into his arms.

"Right now, just fluttering, but in a few months, if memory serves me correctly, I'll be a little less comfortable." At his questioning look she continued. "Right before Jason was born, I could have sworn that his foot was wedged into my rib cage, or at night it felt like he was sleeping on my bladder." Lois sighed as he moved them to rest on the mattress. She knew that he would be soon gone to work on the house and missed having him with her, though she knew that most nights she would be on her own, even when the house was finished. Her thoughts turned to the baby and she wondered how the birth would change their lives. There were bits of Jason's first days of life that Lois remembered and some she blocked out because of all he had gone through. A part of her was anxious because in two weeks she would be at 22 weeks and that was the time she went on bed rest with Jason. Her thoughts shifted again and she thought about what this would be like for Clark. He had stepped in so naturally to being a father to Jason and she wondered how he would be with a newborn. "Have you ever been around a newborn?" she mumbled against his chest.

Clark opened his eyes and smiled. "When I was little mom made sure I attended church and sometimes there would be a new little one introduced to the congregation. A few of my friends had younger siblings but I don't really remember being around any new babies," he offered.

"Does that make you nervous?" she asked raising her head up to look at him.

"I'm not sure what to expect, but you will be here to show me the way, so, no, I'm not worried," he replied as he lifted his head from the pillow and met her lips with a gentle kiss. Once her head was resting back on his chest he thought about what she had said. He was enjoying being part of this pregnancy and watching Lois' body change to accommodate their growing baby. A half hour later she was in a deep sleep and Clark gently moved out of the bed. He changed into his Superman outfit before he headed across the hall to check on his son. Jason was sound asleep and didn't move when Superman kissed his cheek. For a moment The Man of Steel watched over his little boy. Jason was still healthy and both he and Lois were fighting to keep him that way. Knowing that he had much to do, Superman left through his son's window and headed toward Metropolis to see if anyone needed his help.

* * *

In order to get his hands on the boy, Marcus knew he needed a hand and had Robert join him the day they planned to take him. It was sunny and again unseasonably warm. The two men had it planned out and both of them had huge chunks of Kryptonite should Superman show up. Not long after noon, the boy arrived outside with the elderly man, and the two thugs watched him at play. Jason had the ball and as he had done the past few times he accidentally lost the ball bringing it right up to the edge of the woods.

Ben watched his grandson with fondness happy that he could run and play again. Jason had been kicking the ball around and it escaped rolling down the large hill toward the woods. As his grandson began to go after it Ben walked to the edge of the hill ever mindful of his grandson and noticed something that should not be. "Jason stop!" exclaimed Ben as he began to go down the hill after him. Right before his eyes two men emerged from the woods and Ben ran faster gaining on Jason who had stopped but was not moving. "RUN, JASON, RUN!" Ben shouted.

His grandfather's words jolted him into motion and Jason managed to dodge the first man while he grabbed at his necklace. He tried to remember what to do but the other man was gaining on him. "DADDY HELP," he screamed. The bad man with the pony tail caught him up and Jason tried to scream again as he wrapped his hand around his crystal but already something was pressed over his nose as his grandfather yelled for him to fight. "NO!" Jason felt really tired and dizzy and tried to kick but he just wanted to sleep.

Ben's lungs were screaming for him to stop running but he continued after the men who were already in the woods. He saw one of them pull something out of his pocket and as the man turned to face him Ben dropped to the ground just as a bullet was fired. He dared to look up and saw the men disappearing behind the many trees. He got to his feet and began to run again but realized that it was too late. Ben fell to his knees gasping for breath and then all went black.

* * *

Clark had been reading over the information that Klein had sent to him on the last body found at the harbor. Last night had been a good night for him and the house was slowly coming to life. He had gotten most of the frame work built and erected and today as he worked, Wayne Construction would continue what he had not been able to finish last night.

The body was like the others with nothing anyone in forensics could use to identify who the person had been. Something else Clark had been working on was the call Lois received a few months ago from someone needing to meet with her. Clark knew that Lois had gone down to the pier only to find that her contact had gone AWOL or that something had happened to him. Last night when they talked about it, she agreed that the last body could possible be that man, but it still didn't add up. Suddenly he felt the watch on his wrist start to vibrate and quickly left the news room. Clark twisted the knob which on an ordinary watch would move the hands of the face of the watch to change the time, but on his released the hinge allowing him to lift the face up revealing a digital message which read **JK.** His son was in danger and that was all he needed. Clark went back into the office finding Lois talking to Jimmy and had to fight to remain calm. "Lois I need to talk to you about that contact list," he said as he gave a brief smile to their friend before he guided her out of the news room. He led her to a secluded part of the Lobby and told her Jason was in danger.

The color in her face drained and Lois pushed him toward the stair well. "Go, Call me…I don't know what to do..." Lois wanted to go with him but she knew she could not and after he hugged her he was gone.

* * *

By the time they got to the car the boy was out and Robert noticed his fist closed around something. He gently pried the kids hands open and found the crystal necklace. Something about the way the kid clung to it bugged him and Robert yanked it from his neck and through it to the ground before he laid Jason on the floor of the back seat and put a small piece of Kryptonite on his chest before Marcus started the car and they began to speed away.

Superman looked at his watch again and found that Jason was no longer moving. He scanned over the woods and focused in until he found out why his son was no longer moving and shut his eyes, but only for a moment. He tuned his hearing in and heard a car and in less than a second he found a blue Mercedes speeding away. Superman used his x-ray vision and saw Jason and the Kryptonite on his chest. All rational thought left him as he flew down toward the car landing on the road a mile ahead of it. As the car drew closer he began to feel week and realized that there was more Kryptonite than what he had seen. He fought to keep his strength as the car came into vision and knew he would have to risk injury or Jason would be in more trouble than he was already in.

Marcus had the petal nearly to the floor and suddenly he saw the man in blue. He smiled and pushed the petal down further as Superman flew up.

"Where did he go?" Robert asked and before Marcus could say a word, the car began to slow down. Robert turned around and saw Superman in back of the car realizing that they were dragging him, but that he was affecting their ability to move forward. "Don't stop. Give this car all it's got or the boss will have our heads," Robert shouted.

His arms hurt as did his legs and it was becoming very hard to get the car to stop. Superman was on both feet being drug along behind the car as it began to speed up. He tried to use his X-ray vision to locate the rest of the Kryptonite but could not. The sun went behind a cloud and suddenly his hands could no longer hold the back end of the car. All Superman could do is watch as it sped away and when the sun came back out and he tried to fly he could not.

* * *

Seated in Perry's office Lois waited with him hoping and praying that her son was safe. As Lois looked at the clock for the 100th time she found that two hours had gone by since he left. She had been so distraught when he left that she nearly collapsed when she entered the office. Jimmy had dropped his camera and caught her before she could hit the ground bringing her here. It was obvious that her boss was worried about her but Lois assured him that this had nothing to do with the baby. Just when she thought she would go out of her mind the door opened and Clark stepped inside. The look on his face told her what she didn't want to know and Lois wanted to scream. "Where is he?" she finally managed.

Perry could see that they needed to be alone and left without a word. He had a feeling something had happened with Lex and would find out later.

Once their boss was gone Clark walked over to Lois and knelt down in front of her. "Luthor has him," he said as his voice broke.

"No, no. You had that thing on your arm how can he have him?" Lois shouted her question to him not caring who heard her at this point.

Clark tried to touch her but she shrugged away. "There was Kryptonite - a lot of it. I tried to stop the car but I couldn't.

"Where was Ben and your mom?" As soon as Lois said that she saw the pained look in his eyes and put her hand over her mouth.

"Ben was with him and went after the two men. I found him in the woods, and he's had a mild heart attack. Mom is with him at the hospital in Gotham. Lois, I'm going to get him back, before they took him I was looking over the information on that last body. I think it ties in with that man like you said but we need to find out where he called you from.

"How do we find him? We haven't had any luck so far and Lex wants Jason dead. Oh, God, this can't be happening," she sobbed finally allowing him to hold her in his arms. She knew that Clark had a point but right now her mind was a jumbled mess and all she wanted was to find that this was all a bad dream.

* * *

His head hurt and when Jason opened his eyes he was strapped down to a bed in a dark room. "Mommy," he called out. There wasn't any response at first and then a door opened and the lights went on. It was the bald man and Jason shut his eyes.

"Now, don't be afraid. I think maybe you and I could be friends," Lex said amused at how easily this capture had gone.

"You're a bad man and I hope a dragon burns you to dust." Jason said as he looked at the bald man and puckered his lips.

Lex shook his head laughing a little. "The only dragon in this room is me, and if you want to live to see your mommy and your daddy, then you better behave." Lex laughed as he left the boy in the basement room. The stone walls were embedded with lead as was much of the house which was what had kept Lex hidden for all of these months. Now the pain for Superman would begin and that made the mad genius very happy.

All alone in the cold room Jason tried his best to be brave and think about Dragons. "Daddy, the bad man has me and I need you now," he said over and over. Soon he was shaking and tried to get warm but with his arms bound up there wasn't a way too.

* * *

Two days passed with no word from Lex or any luck identifying the last body. Clark was worried about Lois because she wasn't eating and wasn't sleeping well. She refused to let him take her to see Dr. Sanderson and spent much of her waking time pouring over the files they had gotten from the new construction site at the pier.

Ben was recovering at home in the room he and Martha were sharing and felt incredibly guilty, but both Lois and Clark assured him that none of this was his fault. Martha was seated next to the bed where her husband slept as she held his hand, praying for her family and wondering when this would all come to an end. As she gently moved her hand away from Ben's his grasp tightened and when he opened his eyes she smiled at him.

"How could I have let them take that boy away?" he asked.

Martha leaned in and kissed his lips. "You didn't have any way to stop them, and none of us could have foreseen any of this. What is important now is for you to get better, Ben. Jason will come home, and I think all three of them will need us to be strong for them," Martha whispered as she kissed him again.

A knock at the door drew their attention and a moment later Lois entered the room. It was evident by the circles under her eyes that she was badly in need of rest but no one could tell her that.

"Ben, can you tell me what the two men looked like?" Lois asked as she sat down next to Martha in the chair next to hers. As Ben told her what he recalled, Lois jotted down the description he was giving her. Bruce had been in to see both her and Clark and said he knew someone on the Gotham police force who could do a drawing based in the descriptions to try and help identify the two men.

It was hard to remember that day but Ben shut his eyes and did his best. "The man who grabbed Jason had a pony tail. He had red hair and a mustache. He was maybe 5'6" and was as thin as a rail. I didn't see the color of his eyes but he was dressed in a business suit. Both of them were. Now the man who had the gun was heavy set with barely any hair on his head. They were both wearing business suits. I'm sorry that is all I can remember," he told her as his voice broke.

It was very difficult to hear about that day, but Lois could only imagine how hard this was for been to try and remember. In sympathy she reached out and took his hand. "We will find him, Ben. Try to rest," she said as she stood up. She felt tired and a bit dizzy, but there wasn't time for sleep

* * *

The cold, dark room was a bad place and Jason had been released from the restraints that held him in the bed. They brought him food but it made him sick because of his allergies. He had stopped crying for his daddy because he knew that he wouldn't come. The bad man told him that if his daddy didn't come he wouldn't hurt him or his mommy and Jason believed him. Now seated on the bed with a blanket pulled around his body Jason thought about Dragons and the sun. He felt really tired and dizzy, and he didn't know if it was morning or night.

Up two levels from where they were keeping the boy, Lex was planning the next phase of the grand plan. The little boy was getting sick, and that was what he needed. He smiled as he looked over the reports coming in from the east pier project. Everything was going as planned and in a few months the Metro Casino would open and would bring in more money, and his hope was to turn that area into a better place. It was all part of the grand plan to show the world that Lex Luthor wasn't the bad man the media made him out to be. Of course, none of it could happen as long as Superman stood in his way, and that was why this first phase of the plan was so important.

* * *

Clark woke as he felt the bed shift next to him and he opened his eyes as Lois sat up in bed. "Lois?" he asked

"Why can't we find him? Why hasn't Luthor asked for something from us?" Her mind was running wild with all of these questions and her arms ached to hold her son. "I keep hearing him call out to us, and when I wake up I know he isn't here," she said as she felt the baby begin to move.

Clark sat up and moved over to her side of the bed. He put her arms around her as she leaned into his embrace. "I want to look for him more than I have been, but you'd have to cover for me at work," he said. He had been reluctant to leave her but knew Lois was strong.

His words caught her attention and she turned to face him. "What if he has kryptonite? I don't think I could face losing both of you, because that is what he wants, Clark. He wants both of you out of the way," Lois told him as her voice caught on a sob.

As much as he wanted to go out there right now and start looking, Clark knew she had a point and knew that he would need Bruce's help to solve that problem. When he did find Jason he would have to face the possibility that Lex would use kryptonite much the way he had that day on the island when the large piece of that crystal was stabbed through his back. The one thing that he was grateful for in all of this was that Lex did not know of the baby, and Clark knew they had to find him soon before that became obvious. Lois's steady breathing against his chest alerted Clark that she had gone back to sleep and very gently he leaned both of them back against the pillows pulling a blanket over top of them. Once he knew that both Lois and the baby were safe, Clark got up to at least do a fly about around Metropolis and Gotham to see if he could find something, anything which might lead him to his son. In the morning he would talk to Bruce about what Lois had pointed out and hoped that somehow they could find a way to protect him against the threat kryptonite posed to him.

* * *

**AN:** _Alright let me know what you think. Review please please please... Thanks to Beeto for the Beta reads and helping to brain storm and thanks to all of you who take the time to read this..._

_Eviefan_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 27: No Trace**

Resting alone in the room she and Clark had shared since arriving at Wayne Manor, Lois let the tears continue to flow. They had a fight, and she had blamed him for losing Jason even though she knew there was nothing he could have done. Lois told him that she couldn't look at him and made him leave their room. Now that he was gone, she felt more alone than she ever had. Jason had been missing for two weeks and there had been no word from Lex or any progress in finding either the madman or their son. It was as if both of them had simply vanished from the face of the earth. What made matters worse was the fact that Lois was pregnant and for her there was great fear in that. If something happened to Jason she wasn't sure she would ever be able to love the child she carried in her womb. It had been her fear since they were told about a possible cure, that if Jason died, how could she let this child take his place. The answer was that nothing could take his place and those were the fears she now faced.

Seated in the parlor, Clark rested his head against his knees. He had been angry because he couldn't find Jason and because Lois wasn't taking care of herself. When he told her that she had a responsibility to love the child she carried within her body, Lois had blamed him for losing Jason and told him to get out. Reluctantly he had done that and now he felt helpless. His searching had left him with no answers and as Superman he had even gone below the cities streets to the first place he had met Lex Luthor and had been introduced to kryptonite. There were no answers there, only ruins of the place Lex had built up.

"I am interrupting anything?" Bruce asked as he entered the ornate room. He had been aware of the growing tension between Lois and Clark and knew he had to try and step in and help if he could. He had been using his nights to search not only the streets of Gotham but near by cities as well. None of his contacts had heard of anything out of the ordinary that might lead to Luthor, and crime was as it had been over the past few years. It wasn't on a rise but neither was it on a decline.

"No," Clark said as he lifted his head watching Bruce as he crossed the room and took a seat on a black leather sofa across from him. The two of them watched one another and Clark finally spoke wanting to ask Bruce something he had been meaning to. "I need a favor from you, and you have done so much for my family, but I need you to promise that if anything should happen to me that you look after my children and Lois," he said. His emotions were raw and he felt more defeated than he had that day on Lex's Island.

Bruce had not expected that and could see the pain evident on the other man's face. He had grown to like being in Jason's company and he knew that the boy would need guidance from both of them. "We need to find a way to keep you safe," he said not sure how to answer Clark's request. "Look, we are going to find your son and when we do, I want to take care of Luthor, but if something should happen you don't have to worry about them," he said looking away for a moment. "Have you told Lois about this?" When he looked back at Clark he found his friend looking away and got his answer.

As they sat in companionable silence, Clark tuned his hearing to Lois and when he heard her crying he got up. "I need to be with her," he said, for a moment hesitating. He left Bruce alone and went down the hall to the steps. It didn't take him long to reach their room and in a moment he was resting in bed holding her in his arms.

"We…we have to do better than this," Lois said as she finally managed to stop crying. "You were right to tell me what you did. I'm just afraid, Clark," she admitted as he held her closer.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked.

For a moment Lois wasn't sure how to tell him her thoughts but she knew he needed to know them, and she knew he loved her and that counted for a whole lot. "How do I love this child? If something happens to Jason, how do I find the strength to love this little one in his place?" she asked choking back a sob as she shut her eyes.

"You don't love in his place. We don't. We will love this child for who or what he or she is. No one will ever take Jason's place in my heart, nor would I imagine in yours, and you have to try and see it like that, Lois. I'm sorry I got mad at you," he said feeling bad for that.

Lois knew he was right and as much as she tried to admit that she couldn't love this child with each flutter she felt in her belly, her love grew stronger, making the emotional pain she felt worse at times. "I keep wondering how he is," she whispered as she rested her cheek against his chest. That they could rest this way at all due to her pregnant state was amazing but after a few minutes it wasn't comfortable, so Clark helped her turn over and in a moment she rested with her back pressed up against his chest and his arms around her.

"I wonder that as well. At night, I fly above Metropolis and I try to hear him, something, anything but there is nothing. Bruce believes that where ever they are is an older building or house, some place that had lead based paint or was build with led material in the structure of the building. He is trying to find a list of buildings that use the material but it will take time, and that is something we don't have," he whispered.

* * *

His throat hurt and his chest felt heavy. If Jason took in a breath too deep the coughing would come and steal his breath away. The bad man had been in to see him with a doctor and despite how bad he felt Jason had fought not to let the doctor touch him. In the end he lost and they took another sample of his blood. Now the little boy was hungry and as he was about to fall asleep on the filthy old bed the door opened again and the nurse brought him his food. When she left Jason managed to muster the strength to get out of the bed and walked over to the table where his food waited. Today it was Jell-O and soup. Jason took a bite of the soup and then another despite the fact that it was only lukewarm. It was better than the food he was allergic too.

Upstairs, Dr. Andre Lumas looked over the sample of blood he had taken from the boy earlier that day and found that the virus was doing its job. It was the original strain and it was killing off the rest of Jason's Kryptonian cells. The other blood sample had been more for an allergy test to allow them to find the foods the boy could eat. The boss didn't want the kid to die just yet, and Lumas had no qualms about what they were doing. One less alien on their planet was for the best and hopefully the new strain would take care of the larger alien. All in all, it was turning out to be a beautiful day.

In his private office, Luthor waited until the voices died down before he smiled at his companions. "I called you here because I have a plan for you. It seems that with Superman back in town, your activities have been less than eventful over the past year," he said folding his hands in front of him.

"And yours have not?" Jarrod asked, smirking at Lex Luthor. Jarrod was the mob boss in Metropolis, the godfather, if you will, of most of the organized gangs and a feared man. He smirked until Lex pulled out a gun and then the smirk went away. "What do you want Luthor?" he finally asked.

Luthor put his gun away and smiled again. "I want your help and, really, you don't have much of a choice in the matter. I have done some digging," Lex said as he pulled out a folder. "And you see, I know about your illegal drug ring and how the local merchants pay you off to keep them safe from less than honest men in your gangs. Now if this information were to get out, you would be behind bars for a long time. What I want is your promise. When Metro Casino is completed, I want you to look out for my interests."

Jarrod was not used to being intimidated, nor was it something he liked but what Lex had would destroy what he had worked so hard to gain. There was also the fact that when he and his men arrived at the house their weapons had been taken from him. "I guess I can't refuse, but what else do I get besides not going to jail?"

"A certain cut of the profits from the Casino, and eventually a part of my promise that when I run for office, you and your partners will not have any trouble from me."

Now Jarrod knew Lex was crazy, but again there wasn't much he could do. An hour later, he and his men were escorted blindfolded to the waiting car and were soon on their way back to the city. He would call a meeting and a new era would soon rein in on Metropolis.

* * *

In the cave, which had come a long way since he began his career in crime fighting, Bruce finished the modifications on the device Fox had brought in for him. With that part of the task complete, Bruce swiveled his chair to the right and reached out unlatching a lead lined box. When he lifted up the lid a green glow lit the area and as he took it out, the device lit up. Bruce walked away from the small black detector and went as far as he could, about 30 feet away finding that the detector was still working. Fox told him it should work to detect kryptonite from 500 feet away, and this model would be the prototype for the ones he would be putting in at the _Planet_. Those would be far more complex, but now he had a general idea of how they would work and hoped that in time they would help protect Clark and his family.

Once he put the kryptonite back in the lead lined box, he went over to the display monitors lining the northern wall and sat down in a large chair. He accessed the main server at Wayne Tower and pulled up the information some of his associates had gathered on houses using lead ore in their construction. The list was not a long one and one house in particular caught his attention. It was 40 miles west of Metropolis and in the middle of no where. The house had been constructed in the late 1800s, but as recently as two years ago a construction company had begun work there using lead ore as some of the major materials used in refurbishing the house. Bruce knew he should share this with Lois and Clark, but he didn't want to get their hopes up. First, he would do some digging and which he would start when the sun went down.

* * *

When Lois agreed to let Dr. Sanderson come and do an exam, Clark had been relieved. He stood at her side as the doctor took measurements of her belly. When she finished, she looked at both of them and Clark could tell she was worried.

"Lois, I can't imagine how stressful this is for you, but you need to be gaining more weight and you need to rest. This baby needs to grow, and with the stress right now, you could possibly go into pre-term labor. Have you been taking your prenatal vitamins?" When Lois shook her head Dr. Sanderson frowned. "I want to run an ultrasound on you tomorrow, if that will work for you."

Clark took Lois's hand and they both agreed that they would be there. Once she had gone, Clark sat next to Lois and placed his hand on her belly. The fluttering beneath his hand brought a smile to his face and Clark leaned over placing a kiss on Lois's lips. "Why don't I bring dinner up here tonight?" he asked.

Dinner sounded wonderful, but Lois was tired. "I wonder how your mom and Ben are doing?" she asked as she yawned. Clark had flown them back to Montana a few days ago, knowing that they both needed the familiarity of home and some time to rest.

"I talked to Mom earlier today, and she told me that Ben is already talking about going fishing again," he offered. His comment made both of them laugh.

It felt good to laugh but Lois felt a pang of guilt for allowing a happy moment. "I want my little boy back," she said and accepted his hug when he opened his arms. They held one another for a while before Clark left to get their food. Once he was gone, Lois looked down at her belly, placing her right hand in the spot where she felt the most fluttering. "I need to take better care of myself," she said as she rubbed her hand over her belly, allowing herself to really feel for this new baby. Clark was right, this child was not a replacement for Jason and even though they had not planned on it, Lois was beginning to like the idea of starting over with Clark by her side. "We have to keep hoping, and Mommy has to get better so that she can help Daddy find your brother," Lois whispered as she shut her eyes, thinking about her little boy.

* * *

Resting with his back facing toward the door, Jason opened his eyes when he heard it open. He wanted to go home, and wanted to warn his mommy and daddy about the bad man. He heard a tray being set on his small table and heard someone approaching his bed. As soon as Jason felt a strong hand on his shoulder he mustered up ever ounce of strength he could and flipped over catching Dr. Lumas by surprise. Before the man could even think Jason bit his hand as hard as he could, making the man scream. He kicked the doctor and then hopped off the bed running as fast as he could out the door. Jason's mind was racing and as the Doctor started toward the door the little boy shut it and turned the key, locking him inside. His breathing was becoming labored but Jason knew he had to run and hide, or find a way to get out of the house. He ran down the dimly lit hall and rounded a corner colliding with the solid form of Lex Luthor.

"Noo!" Jason yelled as he managed to dodge the bad guy. As he ran up the stairs his breathing became more labored and he knew he couldn't look back. At the top of the stairs he saw a door, one that looked like it would lead outside. Jason heard foot fall behind him and ran to the door. He tried the knob but it wouldn't budge. "Don't panic," Jason muttered trying to find his breath as he twisted the knob to the right unlocking it. Outside the weather was cold and as Jason took a breath in he began to cough.

Lex had fallen on the stairs and as he stood up felt pain in his ankle. "Marcus! Robert!" Lex shouted as he hobbled up the remaining steps. The boy was already out the door, and he knew they would have to cut their losses and get out before they got caught. "Get the car and anything you can carry out of my office." For once, the two men did as they were told and once they were on their way upstairs, Lex suffered through the pain as he turned sharply to the left and headed for the back of the house.

Despite the fact that his lungs were screaming for oxygen, Jason ran until he was too exhausted to take another step, and slumped to the ground behind a large tree gasping for breath. "Da…Da…ddy," Jason rasped as he fought to catch his breath. He heard a car start up and flattened himself in the tall grass despite how cold it was. Another car started up and he put his face to the ground starting to cry as he realized he was all alone.

* * *

Far above the earth, Superman monitored the sounds he heard all around him. As he had done since Jason had been taken he was listening for Jason's voice among the other voices he heard. When a half hour passed Superman resigned himself to another night without finding his son, and as he began to focus on the rest of the world his eyes snapped open. Superman rocketed back into the atmosphere hearing Jason's gasping cries as well as his heart beat. He flew past Metropolis and far above a large expanse of country he saw two cars pulling away from a huge historic home. Scanning the car in front he saw Luthor but his son was not with either car and after they were gone, Superman descended rapidly to the ground landing right in front of his little boy. "Jason," he said hardly believing this was real. He knelt down and in a moment he held his little boy in his arms quickly realizing that his son was in trouble. "Jason, listen to me. I know you are afraid but you need to try and take in a breath," Superman encouraged as he cradled his son in his arms. He wanted to get Jason home but first he had to get him stable enough for the flight.

All he could think about was that he was safe, and Jason wanted to breathe but he couldn't draw in enough air into his oxygen starved lungs. He shook his head and when his father stood up, Jason shut his eyes feeling the sensation of lifting off of the ground.

* * *

A minute later Superman landed at the entryway of the ER. Jason was still fighting for breath and his lips had turned a light shade of blue due to the lack of oxygen being delivered to his body. Jason started to struggle the moment they entered the ER, despite how sick he had become. "Shh," Superman crooned softly as he arrived at the nurses' station. "This little boy needs your help," he said, hating that he had to conceal the truth.

Nurse Betty Jones was on the phone and without looking up she shoved a clip board with a registration form out on the counter above where she sat. "Fill this out," she said. Betty looked up and nearly dropped the phone. "Lloyd, I gotta go," she said as she hung the phone up. The simple fact that it was Superman there had gotten her to do her job and when she saw the little boy she ran back into the exam area to get a doctor.

It hurt so badly, but Jason was afraid and knew if he stopped fighting the bad man would win and he would never see his mommy, daddy or the new baby. He took in quick short breaths of air squeezing his hand hard against Superman's finger. When he saw the doctor, Jason shook his head trying to grasp at his dad's outfit to hide but he could not.

"Bring him through here," said Dr. Huffman, the attending physician. He led Superman to one of the small ER rooms and looked behind him seeing two young nurses headed his way. "I need 1cc of adrenalin, stat," he called out to either nurse as he entered the room. Superman had already placed the little boy on the bed and stepped to the right side.

When Sarah stepped through the door she recognized Jason instantly. "That' Lois's son, Jason," she said as she arrived by Dr. Huffman's side hading him the shot. "Hey, sweetie. We'll take good care of you," she said as Jason tried to kick the doctor away.

Gently Superman placed one hand on Jason's legs below the knees and the other he used to hold Jason's left hand and arm still. His little boy managed a small scream as the shot was given to him and after that things happened fast. A mask was placed over his nose and mouth and Superman recognized it as a nebulizer treatment. The other nurse, a woman named Judy placed a small clamp on Jason's middle finger to monitor his pulse. While the two nurses worked side by side, Dr. Huffman took Jason's vitals and began to write things down on a chart. Superman watched them work and fifteen minutes later Jason's breathing was returning to normal, and his lips were starting to return to a healthy color.

"He has a fever of 101.1. Sarah said that he was the son of Lois Lane, and I've sent her to make a phone call to her," Dr. Huffman reported, wondering why this child had been brought in without his mother or father.

Once the doctor had gone, Superman scanned the area outside Jason's room before he approached the bed. "Jason, I need to phone your mommy," he whispered.

His eyes had been closed but opened when his daddy said that and with what little strength he had left, Jason grasped his hand shaking his head. He was shaken by the events over the past three and a half weeks and didn't want the bad man to come back again.

Three minutes later Jason had fallen asleep and by then Sarah had come back reporting that she had not been able to get a hold of Ms. Lane. "I'm not sure what to do, he needs the consent of a parent before they can take chest X-rays or run any tests on him," she told him, hardly believing she was in the same room with Superman.

"I need you to sit with him, I have other matters I have to attend too," he said. Superman no more wanted to leave his son than endure being stranded on a planet with a red sun along with Lex Luthor but the longer he stayed the more suspicion he would draw.

Sarah agreed to stay with Jason and took a seat at the left side of his bed. His nebulizer treatment was nearly complete and Sarah monitored that and listened to his heart beat and his chest which rattled with each intake of breath.

* * *

On the roof of the hospital, Superman changed back to being Clark Kent and from his jeans pocket he pulled out the secure cell and punched five, praying Alfred would pick up. It was ten past two in the morning and he would not leave Jason alone even though it would take him twenty minutes to go to Gotham get Lois and bring her back. Finally at the fifth ring Alfred answered the phone. "Alfred I need you or Bruce to wake Lois and bring her to Metropolis, I have Jason at Metropolis General Hospital here," he said already aware that his son was awake now, crying for his mommy.

"Not to worry, I will bring her myself." Alfred said and hung up the phone. He had been asleep but quickly dressed and headed for the east wing of the house to fetch Ms. Lane and take her to her son.

* * *

The drive to Metropolis seemed to take longer than the hour it took to get there. Lois sat in the back of the light gray Rolls Royce chewing on her left thumb nail. All Alfred had been able to tell her was that Clark phoned and said that he had Jason at Metropolis General, and all sorts of worries were going through her mind. Finally they arrived and as soon as Alfred stopped the car, Lois got out, and despite her bedraggled appearance and her weariness, she ran into the hospital. She arrived at the ER out of breath and took in a few deep ones before she got the nurses attention. "My son was brought in by Superman," she said. Lois hadn't been told but she had a feeling that it was the truth and the woman's prompt attention to her at the mention of the superhero's name confirmed that.

"You're son has been taken to X-ray. I'll take you there." Betty said as she called out for another nurse named Monica to take her place.

Again the walk seemed longer than it really was and when they arrived at Radiology, Clark was there. "How is he?" Lois managed as she nearly stumbled on her way to his side.

Clark was quick to catch her and for a moment he held her in his arms needing to feel her love for him. "He's stable now, but very congested and he has a pretty high fever," Clark said.

"Don't tell me they want chest tubes again?" pleaded Lois. She wasn't sure she could take that just now.

It was unclear at this point what they would have to do to treat Jason and Clark was hopeful that they could take him back to Gotham via Superman if necessary. Before he could answer her the doors to the X-ray room opened and Dr. Huffman stepped out. "His lungs are inflamed and he's developing pneumonia in the right side. We need to keep him here to treat this at least over night," the doctor informed them, as he looked at both parents.

"We have someone at home who is looking after his medical care," Lois said not wanting to keep Jason here any longer than they had to.

In the end there wasn't anything Dr. Huffman could do to force them to keep Jason at the hospital though they did agree to stay there for a few more hours just until he was completely out of the woods as far as his asthma was concerned.

* * *

When Jason opened his eyes the first person he saw was his mom, and instantly she was there holding his hand in hers. "I want…to go…home," he managed. His chest still hurt but not nearly as bad as it had, and all Jason wanted was to be away from this place.

"I know, Baby. We need to stay over night just to make sure everything will be all right and then we are going back to Gotham City." Lois saw his eyes tear up and reached out her other hand wiping away the first tears that fell.

He was afraid more so than he ever had been, and suddenly Jason realized that his daddy was not there. "I need my daddy," he rasped as he tried to sit up. Before he could get too worked up Clark entered the room with coffee for him and Lois. He quickly put them down on one of the small tables before arriving by Lois's side. "Here I am," he answered having heard Jason's near panic out in the hall.

"I want to go home now," Jason begged.

Clark reached out mindful of the oxygen prong in his nose and the heart monitors as he lifted Jason from the bed into his arms. "I won't ever let anyone ever touch you again, and I'm sorry that you had to go through that," Clark whispered as he held his son close. He felt Lois's hand on his shoulder as he sat down and shut his eyes. What kind of hero was he if he couldn't even keep his own son safe? It was something he knew would haunt him for a long time to come.

* * *

**Authors Notes:** _I know this story has been very dark for the family and I'm sorry I made it that way but I figure that before they could ever have a happy life they would have to fight to get it that way. Things are going to start looking up for them so just stick with me and review and let me know what you think... Thank you Beeto for keeping up with this and giving me your feed back to keep me on track it is most greatfully appreciated._


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 28: Safe at Home**

The results of the chest x-rays revealed that Jason was developing pneumonia in the upper quadrant of his right lung, which was also the cause of the fever that he was running. Dr. Klein arrived early that morning and told both parents that he was susceptible to pneumonia because he had already battled that a few times in his life and also because of his asthma. She knew they were anxious to get Jason home but convinced them to keep him in the hospital for a few more days so that they could get fluids into him and the medicine that would hopefully help him.

Lois held Jason's small hand in her own as he slept, while she sat in a small chair to the right of his hospital bed. Jason was a fighter but his two weeks with Luthor and the illness had worn him out, causing him to sleep most of the time, which ate at her heart. She wanted her little boy to be able to play outside, and do all of the things he loved but now he couldn't and that saddened and angered her. Clark had gone in to work, promising not to be gone long. Not long ago Perry had called her cell phone at first angry and then worried since neither of them had called in for the past few days. Clark was on his way there to try and explain the situation without having him question the real reason they had been absent.

Lois was pulled from her reverie when Jason began to cough and she carefully helped him roll on his side facing her. When he opened his eyes she offered him a smile as she stroked her fingers through his hair. He needed a bath, and she wanted desperately to get him home where she could be in charge of him. "Are you hungry?" she asked. When he shook his head and closed his eyes, she frowned. The IV in his arm was hydrating him but Dr. Klein wanted him to eat, and so far he had not been interested in food. As her son drifted back to sleep, the baby in her womb began to move around, and Lois placed her free hand there rubbing her belly, and whispered, "I know you are there, little one."

* * *

In Perry's office, Clark sat trying to tell the Editor and Chief what was happening without revealing what Lex had done. The last thing he wanted now was to put other people in danger and he had a feeling that Lex's failed attempt to harm Jason would push the mad man to target anyone involved with his family.

Perry listened to what one of his best reporters was telling him and while he knew Jason was ill, there were parts of what Clark was saying that didn't add up, primarily the fact that his star reporter had not shown up or reported to work in over two weeks. "I understand your need for privacy Kent, but something else is going on and I would really like to know what it is. Lois has never gone a day without reporting in, and neither have you, and I can tell something has shaken the two of you up. This wouldn't have anything to do with Luthor would it?" When he asked that question, a look of worry and anger passed over Clark's face before the young man composed himself and Perry knew he had hit the target head on.

Clark knew how Perry felt about his reporting team, that each and every one of the reporters that worked for the _Planet_ were a part of his family, and he knew that the boss wouldn't let up until he came clean. Discreetly, Clark tuned into the area surrounding them and scanned the phone lines following it out of the building making sure that no one could hear in. Bruce had already started the process of putting in new security measures but there was still a marginal risk now. "Yes, this has something to do with Luthor, but I can't risk saying anything here," he said watching as Perry realized what he was saying.

Perry stood up realizing the danger Clark was implying and didn't like it one bit. "So you believe he might have a way to spy on you here? Well, I won't have that," he said as he began to pick up his phone only to have Clark stop him.

"It is being taken care of. That new work order to fix the security system came from Wayne Enterprises to secure the phone lines," Clark said still scanning and listening as he told Perry that bit of news.

Hearing that information was a surprise, and Perry took a seat realizing just how much danger the two reporters were in. He knew that he needed to help them and thought about their recent interest in the east side docks. "Do you think he has anything to do with the refurbishment of the docks?" Perry asked in a quieter voice.

"I'm not sure. Lois and I have poured over the files we got, both from her informant there and from City Hall, but none of it adds up. Whoever owned that company had done a good job keeping records neat and by the books and even the first problem with the foundation being out of code has been resolved. I need to get back to Lois and Jason," Clark finally said as he stood up.

"I'll see what I can find out and send you the information," Perry offered, watching as Clark gathered his coat. He watched the young man leave and then picked up his phone, holding it out as he realized that right now there wasn't much more he could do. Perry got up from his seat and walked to the door, yelling, "Olsen, get your camera and get in here."

* * *

Hovering high above Metropolis, Superman monitored what was going on below him, hoping to pick up something that would lead him to Lex Luthor. When nothing came of that he headed for the hospital, and by the time Clark arrived in his son's room, Jason was awake and very agitated as Lois tried to get him to eat some warm broth and Jell-O. Clark walked over to the small sofa and put his long dress coat down there along with a few files he had gotten at work before he joined his wife by Jason's bedside.

"I don't want that," Jason said he scrubbed at his eyes, and began to cough. Clark knew that Lois wanted to hold him but since she was in her twenty second week of pregnancy, which was around the time she had gone into pre-term labor with Jason, she had to be careful. Gently moving the tubes of Jason's IV out of the way, Clark easily lifted his son out of the bed realizing that he wasn't as warm as he had been earlier that morning. He sat down next in the chair next to Lois and kissed the top of his head. "Jason, you need to try to eat so that your mom and I can take you home," Clark whispered as he rubbed his hand over his' son's back.

"Its yucky food," Jason replied as he rested his cheek against his father's shoulder. He was tired and his whole body hurt for some reason.

"You like Jell-O," Clark pointed out. He and Lois finally managed to coax him into eating most of the Jell-O and a few bites of the broth before Jason refused anymore and once he went to sleep, and was back in his bed. Clark asked his wife. "How are you feeling?"

"Frustrated. He doesn't want to be here and I want him home. I would also like to work but I'm afraid of over doing it and having this baby early, which is the last thing we need," she pointed out as she sighed and looked down at the floor.

It was hard for him to see his family struggle and there was a little voice inside of his head that kept telling him he of all people should be able to make their life easier. There were also times when he heard the voice of his father reiterating the fact that he was not a human being. Had he gotten sloppy? Even if that were the case, he loved Lois more than anyone on the planet and even if there were a way to undo all of it, he would not do it. Somehow, he would make their lives safe. "His fever feels like it isn't as high. Perhaps we can take him back to the manor tomorrow." His comment elicited another sigh from her and Clark knelt down in front of her. "Lois?"

"It is nice of Bruce to put up with us invading his home but I want a place of our own. That can't happen soon enough," said Lois as she finally looked at him. The new house was being most likely being worked on as they sat discussing it, but not having it finished now made her feel helpless.

He had been thinking about that, too, but even with super powers he felt that he was stretching himself as far as he could go. The world still needed its savior and a few of the less reputable papers like the Metropolis Star, and the Enquire had been questioning his lack in involvement helping other people. "We will have a new home soon," he said as he reached out and placed his left hand on her cheek. Clark leaned in kissing her on the lips. The kiss lasted only a moment before he pulled away, and as he stood up the door opened and a nurse arrived to check on Jason.

* * *

While Jason was recovering from his kidnapping, Luthor was busy planning his next move. It was clear that he would never get his hands on the boy again, and the next person close to Superman was Lois Lane. For a while he had toyed with thoughts about Clark Kent and the absence he had that was similar to the time Superman was gone, but he pushed past that thought. Luthor had briefly encountered the reporter before and the personalities of the two men were too different for there to be any sort of connection. Luthor had been to the library in Portland, Maine, where he was now hiding out and had looked at the past few weeks of articles. Lois hadn't been nearly as active in writing as her partner, though he had a guess that having Jason taken away from her had played a part in that. He knew he would have to watch the paper carefully to figure out when she would be back at work and was aware of the _Planet's_ interest in his work at the east side docks, as well as the bodies. In a few days, the trial would begin for the DA, which would work out well for him.

Seated in his study at the small house he had rented under an alias name of John Jones, Luthor took a puff from his cigar as he read the latest from the Metropolis Star. The article he was interested in was questioning why Superman had not been around to help the world as much as usual, and Lex managed a small smile. He knew the reason and at some point was toying with using that as a threat, to tell the world the truth, but not yet. First, he wanted to make the Man of Steel suffer, and if he couldn't do it using his son then he would go for Ms. Lane.

* * *

Two days after he was admitted to Metropolis General Hospital, Jason was released. Clark had been by the manor and had brought the duffle Lois had requested with his shampoo and body soap, along with a warm pair of pajama's and his new winter jacket. Nurse Sara supplied them with a wash cloth and a few towels and once she was gone, Lois gave her son a sponge bath, including washing his hair. As soon as Jason was clean, Clark dried him off using the towel on his body and a very low beam from his heat vision to completely dry his hair.

Jason was having a difficult time staying awake and had liked getting his hair dried by the heat vision, because after that he didn't feel so cold. Seated on the edge of his hospital bed he held out his left arm as his dad pulled his coat on that part of his body. "Daddy, I want to see Rebecca," Jason said as his father zipped his coat up.

Clark pulled the hood up over Jason's head before he picked his son up. "When you get better, but I'm sure we can find a way for you to call her," Clark said as Lois came back into the room.

"We are free to leave," she informed them, with a hint of relief in her voice.

The weather outside was bitter cold and Clark gently pressed Jason's head against his shoulder as Lois held onto his left arm. Alfred was waiting for them and the inside of the Rolls Royce was warm in contrast to the cold outside. Once Clark had Jason strapped into his booster seat, and saw that Lois had already gotten in on the other side of their son, he shut the door and sat in the front seat next to Alfred.

The drive back to Gotham City was quiet, and Jason slept almost the whole way. He was asleep when they arrived, and as Clark got out of the car, Bruce pulled up to the house behind them.

"What can I do to help?" he asked before Clark opened the door to Jason's side of the car. When Clark asked him to carry some of Jason's gear, he went to the back of the car and opened the trunk. Aside from a small duffel there were a few balloons and two Christmas Teddy Bears. Bruce followed the family into the house and realized that the bears likely needed to go through the irradiation process before the little boy could have it. He carried them into the parlor and left them there before he headed upstairs to drop off the duffle.

* * *

Having Jason's old baby monitor set up in his room gave his parents time alone in their room. Their first day home with Jason had been uneventful. Dr. Klein had been by to check on him and was pleased with what she heard and saw. His temperature was nearly back down to normal and his lungs were not nearly as congested, but they still had to watch him and be extremely diligent. Seated on their bed, Lois was brushing out her long auburn hair which had grown down past her shoulders. She had on a pair of comfortable sweat pants and a baggy sweat shirt. As she finished brushing her hair, the window to their room opened, and Superman arrived back from helping out with a domestic dispute in Metropolis. Lois finished with her hair and tossed the brush on the bed. "Did everything go okay?" she asked. They had turned on the TV finding a broadcast from WGBN about a domestic situation in Metropolis where a man was threatening to shoot his wife.

As Superman changed from the suit to a pair of dark pajama bottoms he answered, "I got there in time. I don't think he wanted to shoot her. After I got the gun out of his hands he told me he was out of a job and didn't know what else to do." Clark walked over to the dresser and opened the top drawer pulling out a white cotton t-shirt. As he shut the drawer he felt Lois's hand on his back. He turned around still holding the shirt as she began to rub her hands over his chest. Her lips followed the trail her hands had taken, and Clark let the shirt fall to the floor, lowering his head as she tiled her head up. He kissed tenderly pressing his tongue into her mouth as he brought his arms gently around her. Hesitantly he broke the kiss bringing his lips against her cheek. "The baby," he managed as her hands moved down his chest and within the confines of his pajama bottoms.

"We can be careful," she breathed as his lips moved down to her jaw.

Much later as they rested in bed, in the only position comfortable to her which was on her left side with Clark's chest and front pressed up against her back, she felt his steady breathing. A part of her had felt selfish taking time for just them when their son lay in the next room still sick from the pneumonia, but she and Clark had needed the time they just shared, and what a wonderful time that had been. Over the monitor she heard Jason start to cough and as Clark stirred next to her she shook her head. "I'll go," she whispered. Even Superheroes needed their rest, and after she drew a long shirt over her body and pulled on a pair of sweats, Lois walked across the hall and made it to Jason's side before he could worry. "Here I am baby," Lois whispered as she sat down on the edge of his bed placing her hand on his cheek. He was warm, and when Lois leaned forward and kissed his forehead she knew she needed to give him some children's Motrin.

"Mommy, we didn't get to have Thanksgiving," Jason whispered as she stood up. He watched as she walked past his bed and waited. When his mommy returned with the Motrin he made a face and pulled the covers over his head. "I don't want that," Jason said grumpily. He felt the bed shift to his right as she sat down and kept the blanket over his head.

"We did miss Thanksgiving, but we will have a great Christmas this year," Lois said patiently waiting for him to pull the blanket back from covering his whole head.

Jason knew she wasn't going to leave without him taking the medicine and finally he pulled the blanket away and sat up. He drank every last drop of the Motrin making a face before his small cup of water was put in his hands. Jason took a drink of that and then let his mommy take it. "I want a horse for Christmas," Jason informed as his mom settled back in bed beside him. He snuggled up against her left side yawning as she wrapped her arms around him.

"A horse is an awfully big responsibility, but we might try and find a place where you can learn to ride." Jason had seen a movie a few weeks ago where a boy had learned to ride a race horse, a movie entitled the Black Stallion and a few times the idea of getting a horse had cropped up in conversation. "Now it is time for you to get some rest," Lois told him as she leaned over and kissed his right cheek. Once Jason had fallen asleep, Lois went back to the room she and Clark were sharing. He was still there, but was in the suit and she frowned slightly as she got back into bed.

Superman walked around to her side of the bed and leaned in. He shared a light kiss with her before he straightened back up. "There has been some trouble reported with the shuttles re-entry," he told her, not really wanting to leave. He knew he was needed and after another kiss to his wife he opened the window, floated out of the house and closed it again before taking off to help the astronauts whose lives were in very real danger.

* * *

Once the shuttle was safely on the ground, Superman flew high up into the atmosphere heading west at high speeds until he was hovering over the house Bruce was having built for them. In the past few weeks he had not worked on the house and as he descended to the ground what he saw pleased him. The entire outer structure of the house was complete, and inside the utilities crew and construction crews were working diligently to get the house complete. He stayed behind a grove of trees in the back monitoring their work for a little bit. The men and women working on the house didn't know who it was for, and because they worked for Bruce's company, Superman knew that they could be trusted to do their job and not ask questions.

After watching them for twenty minutes, Superman shot into the air, back up into the stratosphere. From there he shut his eyes and let the sounds coming from the planet wash over him. Amid all the sounds he picked up Jason's voice, and after determining that there was no one in peril, the man of steel headed home. Once he arrived in his bedroom, Superman changed back into the pajama bottoms and t-shirt he had been wearing before he left and headed across the hall to his son's room. Lois was sitting with Jason and he could see how tired she was. Clark arrived at her side and placed a chased kiss on her lips before he helped her stand up. "My turn," he whispered as Jason begged her not to leave him.

Lois gave her husband another kiss before turning back toward her little boy. "I promise I will come in and check on you a little later sweetheart, but I need to get some sleep," Lois tried, watching as Jason's lips drooped down into a sad little pout. She leaned in with Clark's help and kissed her little boy before heading back across the hall to get some much needed rest.

Jason stayed sad for a total of five seconds before he was resting against his father's left side. He drew in a breath and began to cough again making a face as he coughed up some of the congestion in his lungs. "I don't like to cough," he admitted.

"I know you don't, but hopefully that coughing will help you clear out the infection in your lungs so that you will start to feel better," replied Clark as he held his son just a bit closer.

As they lay together, Jason took his daddy's left hand and touched his wedding band. "Daddy, are me and you the only Kryptonian people left?" Jason knew they were but it was hard to comprehend especially when he knew how many people lived on earth. Luthor had said Billions of people would die and he knew that was a very big number.

Clark knew he should tell Jason to go to sleep, but he also knew that I was important to answer these types of questions. "We are the only two, but once the baby comes, there will be three of us. Now, no more talking - it is well past the time for you to be asleep."

Jason sat up and turned over on his belly, resting more fully against his father's chest. He wanted to talk more but as his father began to rub his back, and he listened Clark's heart beat, Jason found it hard to keep his eyes open. "What if he gets me again," Jason mumbled.

"Shhh. I won't let that happen," Clark whispered as he continued to rub Jason's back. His son was soon asleep, but Clark remained where he was, allowing Jason to fall into a deep sleep before he got up and headed back to the room he and Lois shared to get a few more hours of rest before the day began.

* * *

Over the next few days Jason's health improved. His lungs were still congested and he wasn't permitted to go outside in the frigid cold weather, but Becky and Fox were pleased that the medicines he was being given were working. Clark had started going back to work half days and was bringing files home for Lois, who wanted to stay home with Jason. His wife still loved her work, but due to her pregnancy and their near miss with their son and all the stress that entailed, Lois knew she had to stop tempting fate.

At the small desk to the right of their bed, Lois was on the laptop checking emails, one in particular Clark had sent her way with some photos Jimmy had snapped at the docks. It was amazing to her how quickly that area was being developed and it was also now well known that a Casino was going up along with a line of ritzy stores. As she finished looking over the files she heard Jason's soft voice from the door.

"Mommy, I miss my daddy," he said as he walked over to where she was sitting. In a moment he was hugging around her and pulled away slightly when he felt the baby kick. "My baby is awake," he commented, not feeling as sad.

Lois smiled at her little boy. "Your baby is always kicking," she replied as she reached out and tousled his hair. After turning off her computer, Lois stood up and stretched her arms up over her head and then leaned to the side trying to get a kink out of her back. "Why don't you and I practice your reading," she said as she took his hand.

"Dragons don't read mommy," Jason informed her as they headed to his room.

* * *

While Lois and Jason debated the issue of a Dragon learning to read, Clark sat at his desk reading over the documents he had gotten from the courthouse regarding the trial of the DA. It was starting tomorrow, and the evidence against him would put him away for a long time. The big question in the trial was why he had done it, though Clark knew that he had not and still had a strong feeling that Luthor was behind all of this. Knowing that there was not much he could get out of the papers in front of him, Clark slipped them into a manila folder and put them aside. He would take that folder and few others home for Lois to view, hoping maybe she would see something that he did not.

"Hey, Mr. Kent," said Jimmy as he walked up behind his friend. When Clark jumped, Jimmy apologized and then asked, "Would you like to head down to Ace O' Spades?"

It had been a long time since Clark was able to do anything with Jimmy, but he had to do some more research on the east side docks project and then get home to Lois and Jason. "I'm sorry, Jimmy, do you mind if I take a rain check on that?"

"Sure, no problem, Mr. Kent. Tell Lois and Jason that I said hi," he offered as he headed out of the office, hoping to get away before Perry could call him on to some task.

Once Jimmy was gone, Clark pulled out the papers that he had gotten from City Hall which were the original permits for VGM to build there. Clark had not put much time in researching the company and wanted to take time to do that. Lois had once met with one of the CEO's and had written up a small article that arrived on the second page, but from what she had seen the company was honest and even fixed the structural violations that had been reported by one of their employees. Clark stretched and as he did he looked around the office noticing that everyone was into their own thing. As he finished stretching he took one last gaze around and then went through the papers, all fifty of them in ten seconds. "Not one thing," muttered Clark as he put the files back in the folder. It was time to leave and he felt like he hadn't accomplished anything. Once he had everything gathered up, Clark headed for the lobby with everything tucked away in his briefcase. He took an elevator going up and once inside with the doors shut he lifted off the ground and flew up through the shaft changing from his work suit to his Superman suit in a blur.

* * *

Having to take naps was humiliating to Jason. His mommy had explained to him why he had to do that, and had not been willing to bend on her rule. He still didn't feel all that great, and as he rested in his bed he thought about the cave Bruce had taken him to. His daddy told him that he couldn't wander around anymore and that made Jason sad. "I hate naps," he said gruffly as he rolled onto his left side facing toward the door. He spotted the red stuffed dragon his granny had made for him, and knowing that his daddy was not home, Jason slipped out of bed and got him. The little boy slowly went back to his bed and crawled back under the covers. "I bet you don't take naps," he said as he rested on his back holding the dragon up by its wings. "I don't know what to name you. It has to be something fierce, because dragons are sometimes very scary," Jason said. He knew that the boys at school would laugh at him for having a conversation with his dragon, but Jason didn't care, and besides they were nowhere around. "Elliot would work, but he's on that movie Pete's Dragon and he's more clumsy than fierce," Jason said as he yawned.

Outside his son's room, Clark listened to the conversation Jason was having with the dragon. Lois was asleep in their bed and had not woken up when he kissed her. It was a real relief having Jason home safe with them, and as much as he knew he should be out there hunting for Lex, he needed to spend time with his little boy. After a moment more of listening to Jason try and figure out a name for the dragon, Clark opened the door, seeing through it as Jason shut his eyes and began to snore. After shutting the door behind him, Clark approached the bed without making a sound, while Jason continued to snore, until it made him cough. Gently Clark reached out and helped Jason sit up rubbing his back until the coughing subsided.

"You knew I was awake, didn't you daddy?" Asked Jason as he turned over to face Clark.

"I did," he answered as he sat on the bedside. "You need to rest Jason," he began, but Jason shook his head and pursed his lips.

"I'm not a baby, and I don't feel bad," he lied. There wasn't one thing that was making him feel bad just all the little things at once and he hated it. "I think we need to go up to the sun so that I can get all better," he finally told his father.

That was the hard part, trying to explain to his little boy why a trip into the sun's direct light wouldn't heal him. He had explained it to Jason time and again, but knew at his young age he just didn't understand. "After the baby is born, and once you have the good cells in your body, I will be able to fly you into the sky where the sun will begin to heal you, but we have to wait until that can happen."

Jason was a big boy, he was six years old but it was really hard to be brave and not be sad. "I don't want to be a Kryptonian daddy," he said as he shut his eyes and rolled away from Clark. He held on to his red nameless dragon and sniffed, feeling the bed shift as his daddy stood up. "I love you," Jason heard his daddy tell him. He thought about his other daddy and all the fun times they had, and remembered never having to worry about bad men, or having to stay inside because the bad man made him sick. Those thoughts upset him enough that he did start to cry, and when Jason felt his father's hand on his back he turned over and let Clark hold him close. "I miss my first daddy," he said as he tried to catch his breath.

Reaching over with his right hand, Clark got the inhaler and helped Jason hold it stead as he took a puff. Once he had done that, Clark lifted him off of the mattress and held Jason against his chest. "I know you do, and I'm sorry for everything that has happened to make you sad," Clark replied.

As he started to feel a little better, Jason let his daddy put him back down in the bed, and put his small hand over his mouth as he yawned. "Will you be here when I wake up?"

"Yes, now get a little rest," answered Clark as he leaned down and placed a kiss on Jason's cheeks, his nose and then on his lips. "I love you, son," Clark said as he stood up. After Jason had fallen asleep, Clark went across the hall where he found Lois coming out of their bathroom.

"Oh, hi. I didn't realize you had come home," Lois said as she walked into his arms. It wasn't as easy to hug him, but the couple managed that and even a kiss before they parted. "Is Jason asleep?"

Clark nodded his head. "He just went to sleep. He wasn't very happy about having to take a nap, or about having to be Kryptonian." After he let go of Lois, Clark walked over to their bed and sat down. He knew Jason was tired, and he realized that his son was frightened but those words had made the young father think about what he was already making his son go through at such a tender age.

His words startled her, and for a moment Lois watched him sitting alone, knowing that he was hurt by Jason's words. "You know that he didn't mean that," she finally stated as she approached the bed. Lois at down next to her husband putting her arm around him.

Clark sighed. "I know he didn't mean anything by that, but I haven't done a very good job at keeping either of you safe. I need to spend more time at the house and see if we can't get everything in place before the New Year. Why don't we go down and get something to eat." He stood up and turned around holding on to both of her hands as she stood up. Clark had a feeling that the next few weeks would be very busy for them, and hoped that they could keep Jason safe and healthy, and be in the new house before Christmas, but that was his secret, and as they left the room he couldn't help by grin his silly grin thinking about how surprised both Lois and Jason would be if he could accomplish that.

* * *

**AN:** _Thanks to Beeto for the fine Beta reading and keeping me in line with this story. Thank you to all who take the time to read please please review it really makes a difference for me to hear how you like this story_

_Eviefan_


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 29: Home for the Holidays**

His long nights spent away from his family, while difficult to endure, had started to pay off. The house was finally coming together, and Clark was reasonably sure that he would have them moved in a few days before Christmas. He knew how much Lois wanted to be in her own place, and he agreed with that. Bruce had done more than enough to help them and even though they still had those moments in the past where neither one of them could agree on their various beliefs of handling the common criminal for the most part, lately they were getting along and agreeing. With Bruce's help, Clark now had a way to keep his family safe, and the new house would insure privacy for them. In turn, Clark had launched Wayne Station into space, and had also helped Wayne Coal and Refining by digging and putting up the supports for a few new mines in West Virginia. He knew that there was more he owed Bruce, but for now his friend seemed satisfied.

While Clark worked on the house and at the _Daily Planet_, as well as helping those people in need, Bruce spent his time trying to track Luthor down. He knew that should Superman find him first, the challenge of controlling his temper after what his family had been put through would be a real test for him. Bruce also realized what a threat Luthor was, not only to Clark and his family, but to the rest of the world. At night, Batman had been spending his time in the poorer part of Gotham watching over the criminals in that part of town. He had been listening in to conversations hoping that someone would say something about Lex Luthor, but so far there hadn't been any such luck. He was also busy trying to track down the rest of the inmates who had escaped Arkham Asylum when the League of Shadows had tried to take over, and reduce crime, but it was an on going battle for him to do that.

Lois was in her twenty third week of pregnancy, and was still working at the _Planet_, though only half days. She was showing and most of her co-workers were now aware of both the pregnancy and the rings she and Clark had on their fingers. Clark's mom and Ben had returned to help look after Jason who was still fighting off the congestion in his lungs, but was also full of energy as he should be. The big coverage at work was the trial against the DA, which was slow, because of the evidence against him, and she and Clark were working hard to try and clear him of the involvement. As part of her investigation, Lois had gotten files on the Cult that had plagued the city at the beginning of the year, and as well the jewelry store robberies. Her gut feeling told her that somehow all of this tied together but so far she had not been able to make any progress.

* * *

In his room, Jason was on his belly resting his arms against his pillow on the bed while he watched Frosty the Snowman. His Granny and Pappa had come back and had brought him that DVD as well as a few other Christmas Classics. The little boy was excited because in 12 more days it would be Christmas. Today had not been a very good day for him. He had taken a nap and had woken up with a slight fever. His Granny had called his mommy and she and his daddy would be home soon. As his movie ended, his Granny turned off the TV, and Jason protested. "I wanted to watch another one, Granny."

Martha took the DVD out of the player and put it back in its case before she put it down on the small stand where Jason's TV sat. Her grandson was limited to two movies a day, and not right in a row. "I know you do, Jason, but we need to practice your reading," she said gently as she walked over to his bedside table and got one of his readers from school.

"I don't want to read!" Jason exclaimed as he got down off of the bed and ran into his bathroom. He shut the door and locked it and sat down on the floor. All Jason wanted to do was to play outside, but it was too cold and his mommy told him that it was not good for his lungs. He missed Lucky, and he missed talking to Rebecca. His daddy told him they would try and find a way to call her but so far that had not happened. He heard a knock on the door and didn't answer.

Standing in front of the bathroom door connected to her grandson's bedroom, Martha tried to get him to talk to her but he wouldn't. She knew he was frustrated and tired of having to stay inside, and wondered if her son could take him someplace warm even if only for an hour to let him get some fresh air. "Jason, will you please tell me that you are alright so I won't worry about you?" Martha called out as she tapped on the door again.

"I don't want to," he said loud enough for her to hear him. He rested his chins on his knees which he had drawn up against his chest and wished he could just run away.

Martha waited by the door for a moment longer before she walked over to the sofa she had been sitting in while Jason watched his movie. She knew he needed time to pout and resumed her knitting, hoping that her son and daughter-in-law would be home soon.

* * *

As soon as they arrived home, in the privacy of their bathroom, Clark and Lois shared a shower. They still had to get clean after being around everyone in the office, to keep Jason from getting sick, and it was hard being together to focus on just getting clean. The couple also shared a few kisses and some passionate caresses before they finally finished getting cleaned off. Once they were out of the shower they made fast work of drying off and getting dressed and headed across the hall to see Jason., Clark and Lois entered their son's room finding his mom knitting with Jason no where to be seen. "Mom?" Clark asked as he walked over to her.

"I tried to get him to read today but he wouldn't and he has been pouting in the bathroom for the past half hour, I'm afraid."

Clark used his x-ray vision and found his son sitting with his back to the door. Jason was pouting, but it was time to put a stop to it. He let go of Lois's hand and walked to the door. "Jason, I need you to come out here, please," he said in a firm tone.

Jason knew better than to tell his father 'no', and stood up. He opened the door but kept his eyes on his feet. "I miss my friends and my dog," he said as his voice trembled.

Clark's features softened as he knelt down in front of his little boy and hugged him close. "I know you do, and I know you don't like having to stay inside, but you need to listen to Granny when she tells you that it is time to do something." Jason was still warm and Clark looked past his son asking his mom when the last dose of Motrin was given to him.

"It has been a few hours, not long enough to give him any more," Martha replied. She had her things gathered up and headed down the hall to find Ben and spend some time with her husband. Ben was back to full health and had been working on a surprise for their grandson for Christmas.

As Clark stood up, he picked Jason up and held him close. "Are you hungry?" he asked as Lois came over to them.

"I had a bowl of apples for a snack. My belly hurts," he mumbled as he rested his left cheek against his father's shoulder.

Lois looked at her husband in concern and knew they needed to call either Fox or Dr. Klein and have them come out to see Jason. He was scheduled to see Becky in a few days but the fever had her worried. "Why don't the two of you rest," she suggested giving her husband a knowing look. When he caught on to what she was going to do he agreed that it would be a good idea and was putting Jason down in his bed when she left.

* * *

Marcus sat in his car across from the _Daily Planet_ waiting for everyone to clear out. Tonight he was supposed to go in and put a tap in on Lois Lane's phone. His boss had given him coder to break into the alarm system and he was looking forward to getting paid for this. It had been a long day already, but Marcus had been prepared for the wait and had brought along some catalogs. The one he was currently viewing was various types of guns. The one he was most interested in was the Smith and Wesson 29 model which had been reissued a few years back. As he ran his fingers over the page his cell phone began to ring. "Yeah," he said.

"Are you paying attention?" Lex asked from his end. The stakes for him were high and he had to be certain that his men stayed in focus.

Marcus dropped the magazine and looked across the street. "Not everyone is gone," he said. I think the guy who runs the paper stays late."

"Then you wait for him to leave and don't even think about putting a bullet in him. I need you to tap into their lines. Don't disappoint me." Lex hung up sitting back in his recliner as he flipped on the TV. He hated his having to hide but some of his informants said that the Batman had even begun to look for him and he couldn't have any mistakes in his grand plan.

* * *

Seated on the edge of her son's bed, Lois rubbed her hand over his back. Dr. Klein had come by and found that he had a minor ear infection in the right ear. She had prescribed ear drops along with the antibiotics he was already taking for the infection in his lungs. Her little boy had endured the exam all right but had not liked the ear drops. Clark was the one who had to hold him still while she put three drops in and had to keep holding him long enough for the medicine to do its job. Jason's breathing was steady now, and silently, Lois stood up and walked out of the room.

Clark was looking over more files in the room that he shared with Lois. Jason had been angry with him and Clark had gone out of the room upon his son's request. His mind was not on his work, so he put the files away and as he walked over to the bed and began to pull the covers down, Lois came into their room.

"He's out," she said as she walked over to her husband's side. As she arrived next to him, the baby started to kick, and Lois reached out and moved Clark's hand over her belly as he turned around. "I think this one likes playing soccer," she teased making him smile. Lois knew how hard it was to have their son's anger directed at him, and was glad to see Clark smile. When he knelt down on his knees and lifted the long baggy sweat shirt she had on, Lois reached out and raked her fingers through his hair.

Gently, Clark placed a kiss on her belly and rested his cheek there for a moment. "You need to let your mommy rest," he said directly at her belly. Incredibly as he began to talk the movement stopped and he looked up at Lois before looking back at her belly. "We are excited for you to come and see us, but you have to wait a while," he said as he rubbed his right hand over her belly.

"I think our baby likes hearing you talk," Lois said as he gave her belly one more kiss before he pulled her shirt back down. He stood up and she tilted her head up as he brought his down. The taste of his lips on hers was intoxicating as always and Lois missed being able to spend time with the man she loved. Dr. Sanderson had already advised against making love, though they had found other ways to pleasure one another. This time she was the first to break the kiss, and put her hand on his chest. He backed up against the bed and when he sat down; Lois reached out and pulled his shirt up. Clark's eyes were on her as she leaned in. Lois kissed his chest, and then began to work her way down his abdomen. She heard his intake of breath when her lips brushed over his belly button and evidence of his desire was already pushing against the sweat pants he had on.

* * *

The coder did the job he needed it to do, and Marcus entered the building when there wasn't anyone around to see him. He walked through the lobby to the elevators and found a plaque which told him where the news room was. As he pressed the button for the elevator he whistled a tune from an opera he had heard at his boss's house the other day, and then stopped when he realize what he was doing.

As Marcus waited for the elevator, a silent alarm went off and was picked up at Wayne Tower. Frances Adams had nearly been asleep when he heard the beep and after looking at the work being done on the Kent's house, and finding that it was still safe, he focused on the model screen for the Planet. The building was lit up as he heard a beeping sound, which meant someone had used a coder to get in. Frances got on the phone and dialed Metropolis PD. "Yes this is Mr. Adam's with Wayne Security. A silent alarm has been set off at the Daily Planet." Adams gave the PD what they needed and when he finished there he contacted his boss, who would in turn call Bruce and let him know what was going on.

Finding Lois's desk wasn't hard. Marcus remembered the kid and there were pictures of him all over the place. He finished with the phone in record time and as he was getting his gear put in his bag, the lights went on. After dropping the bag, Marcus grabbed his hand gun and turned toward the Lobby. No one was there so he made a run for it. He avoided the elevator and took the stairs going up. The boss would kill him if he got caught and would likely kill him even if he didn't. Taking three stairs at a time, Marcus arrived on the roof top out of breath. He looked around and finally spotted the fire escape on the eastern end of the roof. So far he had not encountered the police or Superman and as he began to climb down the escape he began to feel relieved. He was midway down the escape when he heard someone shout up for him to stop moving and to drop his weapon. Marcus stopped moving but reached his hand in his pocket and pulled out two grenades. He pulled out the pins and threw them down and then huddled down on the plat form he was on. After five seconds he looked up and standing on the platform above him was Superman. "Try this," he said as he pulled out his gun and began to fire. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he couldn't kill Superman with bullets and would suggest to the boss the next time to supply him with kryptonite bullets.

It was very easy for him to catch every bullet fired at him, and once the barrel of the gun had been emptied, Superman moved fast. He lifted the man off the fire escape and flew him down to the waiting police force, handing him over to Officer Martinez. "I didn't see anyone else in the building," the man of Steel told the officer. Superman wanted to ask this man what he had been doing but he heard a report over one of the radios in a patrol car that a bank robbery was taking place a few blocks away, and already he knew it was going to be a busy night.

* * *

When Batman arrived at the_ Planet_, the police had gone. He parked in the alley between the _Daily Planet_ building and the parking structure and used the grappling hook to get to the roof. Batman had the right code to get in the building and once he was inside he headed for the news rooms. The man the police caught had been here for a reason, and Batman had a feeling it wasn't to rob the safe.

Upon his arrival at the news room, he found Superman at Lois's desk. "What did you find?" he asked not surprised to find his friend here.

"I listening device," replied Superman as he turned around and showed what remained of the devise to Batman. "He works for Luthor, there is no other explanation, and now Lois is a target. Someone should go in and interview him to see if that is the case," Superman said referring to Clark Kent.

Batman could tell his friend was angry. "Do you think Clark can be objective?" he asked after a moment of silence. "This man works for the one who wants to hurt his family?" Ordinarily Bruce wouldn't ask but now he wasn't sure.

His anger was simmering and Superman shut his eyes. "He would have to be objective if he is to find Luthor and put a stop to all of this. Do you have any other suggestions?" Superman asked as he opened his eyes.

"Let me see if I can get him moved to Gotham City. I know someone who might be able to pull a few strings. I think it would be to dangerous to leave him here given that he might work for Luthor," Batman stated.

Superman agreed to that and after both of them spent an hour going over the building they both went their separate ways.

Flying high above the countryside, Superman kept thinking about that man, wondering if he was the one who had taken his son. Bruce had been right about his anger, and again, he thought about how he was supposed to respect all human life. At the moment, he wanted to kill both that man and Luthor, and those thoughts were alien to him. Suddenly, he stopped flying and descended rapidly from the sky, into the Fortress of Solitude. It had been a long time since he had been there to visit, and even now he wasn't sure if coming here was what he should do. When he landed on the cool crystal surface, a platform leading to the control consol, Superman took four steps and held out his hands. The room darkened and suddenly the floor in front of him lit up and came to life. Crystals began to grow out of the floor until the console stood before him. He was grateful that Lois had reminded him about the green crystal that had grown this fortress, and it was thanks to her and that crystal that he now had all of this back. Taking out the largest crystal, the one called the Father Crystal, Superman put it into the proper slot and in a moment the hologram of his father came to life before him.

"My son you have not been here in a long time," Jor El stated.

"I know father. There has been so much that has happened to me." Kal El didn't know where to start, but then his father asked a question.

"You have a son now. A son who has faced sickness most of his life." When Jason had first started to show signs of the deadly illness, Superman had come here before needing advice and then there wasn't much either of his parents could or would do for him. It was that reason why he was weary of being here now.

"Yes, but this new sickness was created by my enemy who wants to harm him to place revenge on me." The Hologram before him was silent, and Superman waited.

"This enemy, the one you speak of has let greed eclipse his heart. How do you feel about this man?"

Superman looked away from the Hologram and then back. "Angered, father. It is one thing to go after me, and another to hurt a child who has done nothing more than to exist."

Jor-El took in to consideration what his son had just told him. "This woman has made you happy?" he asked.

"Yes. I know I am not human, not one of them, but I was raised here, Father, I love her. It has been a struggle not to love her and now that we have a son, I can't ignore what is in front of me."

"This life you have chosen will be a struggle for you, but if it is what you want, and as long as you remember why we sent you to earth, then I give you my blessing."

"Thank you, Father." Superman watched as the hologram faded, and for some reason he felt better.

* * *

A gentle kiss against her lips woke Lois and when she opened her eyes she saw the man she loved and smiled. "Is everything alright?" she asked as she stretched her arms above her head.

"Yes," Clark replied. It was still early in the morning and he hadn't meant to wake her, but he needed to touch her, and show her his love for her.

"What happened?" she asked realizing that something was on his mind.

He knew if he told her she wouldn't get back to sleep, but he also knew as his wife, she had a right to know who had been caught today. They had not talked to the man, but he was reasonably sure who he worked for. "The _Planet_ was broken into. I caught a man who had placed a listening device on your phone. Bruce and I think that he works for Luthor."

Now fully awake, Lois rolled on her side and sat up. "This could be what we need to find that bastard," she said ready to get up get dressed and go find out what he was doing.

"I hope that you are right. Bruce is pulling some strings and having him transferred over here. He believes as do I that Lex will try to eliminate him."

Lois sighed. She knew that they couldn't go down there right now and felt dizzy. "I need to lie back down," she said.

Clark reached behind her and helped her settle back against the pillows. "Do you need me to bring you anything?" When she smiled at him he knew she was up to something.

"To be honest with you, Thai noodles in peanut sauce sounds wonderful." After Clark kissed her she watched as he got into his suit and when he left through their window, it was her turn to wonder. As she waited, her thoughts turned to the man that Clark had told her about, and she wondered if he would hold the answers to their questions about the DA, the Cult, the robberies, and the new site going up at the east docks. Fifteen minutes later, her husband returned with what she had been craving. The noodles were in a package made out of bamboo, and she eyed him as he put the food in front of her. "What did you do, Mr. Kent?" She asked as he lifted the lid away from the noodles. Her stomach rumbled and Lois took up the chopsticks and took a bite shutting her eyes as the flavor of the food washed over her. "Forgot what I just asked, this is wonderful," she said as she swallowed the first bite.

Superman had flown to Bangkok and after hovering high above the city for five minutes, he found what he had come to get. Using great care, Superman had descended rapidly into an alley behind a tall stack of wooden crates. Once he had changed into civilian attire consisting of a pair of dress slacks, as well as a coat dress shirt and tie, he stepped out of the alley blending in with the crowd. Clark crossed the street and went into the restaurant he had seen from far above the city, where he had heard someone ordering Thai noodles with Peanut Sauce. Once he had what he needed he got back to that same Alley and headed for home all without anyone knowing he had been there. Seeing his wife happy made him realize that he had chosen the right place to go. At her request, he went downstairs and got her a glass of water, and then the two of them shared the rest of the noodles even though it was two o'clock in the morning.

* * *

The next morning, Lois woke up realizing that she wouldn't be able to go with Clark down to the police station. If the man her husband and Bruce caught were to somehow get away, he could tell Luthor about the baby, and she wasn't willing to put her unborn child in that sort of danger. Once Clark had gone, Lois got dressed and went in to Jason's room to get his day started.

The 21st precinct was one of the busiest precincts in Gotham City, and when Clark walked into the main lobby of the building, there were all sorts of people there. A few people sat quietly on wooden benches against the left wall waiting for something but most people were yelling or crying, and he could tell the officers here had their hands full. Walking up to the main desk, Clark caught the attention of a woman named Julie Franklin and asked, "Is Lieutenant Gordon here?"

"He is in his office, but I can already tell yah that he's not going to have time for a visit today."

"My name is Clark Kent and Bruce Wayne set up a meeting with him." As soon as he said those words, Julie called back to his office, and Clark realized what a pull his friend had in this city, or at least with this department. Bruce once told him that it was Officer Gordon who had taken care of him that night after his parents were killed and he guessed that was why his friend was able to pull strings.

"If you will follow me," the young officer said.

Clark followed her into the back of the large building, down a darkened hall to an office on the end.

Lieutenant Gordon stood up and greeted him and then led him personally into a meeting room not far from his office. As soon as Clark walked in and saw the man seated at the metal table he took a breath and let it out. He could not let this man see his anger or emotions and hoped that somehow he could get him to talk. Bruce had offered using his way, but Clark wanted to try this first. "Hello," Clark said as he sat down.

Marcus looked at the man seated in front of him and yawned. "You the reporter?" he asked.

"Yes, my name is Clark Kent."

"You're wasting you time, Kent. I don't got noth'n to tell you so you might as well get out of here and go on about your business." Marcus had been surprised to be transferred here and wondered what was going on. He knew the boss would likely kill him now that he was in custody, and didn't care one way or the other what happened.

"They found a listening device placed in a phone," Clark began. He listened to the man's heart beat and heard it beat faster.

"Is that right, must have already been there," Marcus said feeling his palms start to sweat.

Clark could tell he wasn't going to get much out of him and decided to cut to the chase. "Do you work for Lex Luthor?" He knew he was taking a marginal risk but at this point he needed to know. Even though he didn't get an answer, the fact that sweat beaded up on Marcus's forehead and that his heart rate increased greatly told Clark what he needed to know.

"GUARD, GET ME OUT OF HERE." Marcus yelled as he stood up.

The guard came a moment later, and as Marcus was led out, another officer arrived to guide Clark back to the lobby.

* * *

Spending time with her son was something Lois loved and as they sat on his bed playing checkers, she wondered how things were going for her husband.

"Mommy, it is your turn now," Jason stated. He shook his head as she looked at the board and could tell she was thinking about something. "Are you worried about my fever?" Jason asked as his mommy jumped one of his red checker pieces.

Lois smiled at her little boy. "A little bit, but those ear drops and the medicine you are taking should help you," Lois replied. She forced herself not to think about Clark and the interview and after she and Jason finished their game of chess, Alfred arrived with their lunch.

"Mommy, are we going to have Christmas here with Bruce?" asked Jason after he swallowed a bite of the homemade chicken soup. The soup didn't have noodles but rice instead because Jason was allergic.

Lois finished a bite of her chicken salad sandwich and offered her little boy a smile. "I think we might, but that will be alright. All of us will be together and we will have a good time," she said, wishing that Jason could see his friends and spend Christmas with the rest of the family. Her parents were starting to be supportive and that was unusual but welcome at the same time. After lunch was finished, Lois got Jason settled in his bed and read from a new book called Eragon. As she read, her son settled against her right side and didn't say a word as the tale unfolded. The book was about a young boy who finds a dragons egg. The mere fact that it was about dragons had captured Jason's attention and Lois read two chapters before she shut the book much to Jason's chagrin.

"Mommy read more," he said through a yawn.

"Not right now. We both need to have a rest," Lois whispered as she held Jason closer kissing the top of his head.

"If we have a brother for me can we name him Eragon?"

Lois smiled. "I don't know about that. It is a good name for a book character, but not so much for a child," she replied gently. Lois rubbed her hand over his back and stayed with Jason until he was asleep. It took more effort than she wanted, but Lois got up out of Jason's bed and after putting a warm blanket over him, she walked across the hall to her room. Clark was there changing out of his work cloths and she could tell things had not gone well at the interview. Before she even asked about that, Lois walked up to him and in a moment they were sharing a kiss and as much of a hug as they could get with her expanding belly. Lois held on to him even after they broke the kiss, hoping that soon this would all be over with.

"Have you eaten?" He asked as he pressed a kiss on top of her head.

"Jason and I ate in his room. I had chicken salad, and it was wonderful. What about you?" Lois asked. She knew that he didn't need to eat as much as other men, but was relieved when he nodded his head.

"That man works for Luthor. I didn't get him to confess it but his body language told me all I needed to know," Clark offered as he led her over to the small sofa across from their bed. Clark helped her sit down realizing that it was becoming difficult for her to do that on her own. Once she was seated he sat next to her and she began to ask him what they should do. "Right now keeping him safe from Luther's grasp is paramount. When we catch Lex, we can offer Marcus a bargain for what he knows, or at least that is what Bruce's friend Miss Dawes believes. I met her at the station and Marcus does have a criminal record which will keep him incarcerated for a while, but we need to focus our efforts on Luthor."

It was good that they had someone connected to Luthor, and Lois was happy about that, but the mere fact that they had not caught **_him _**bothered her. "How do we find Luthor? I worry about the safety of our family even when we move into the new house, and after he is caught what will keep him from telling what he knows, which is that our son is Superman's child?" She was suddenly frustrated but she didn't move from the embrace of Clark's arms.

"I am going to do a memory wipe, one that he won't recover from. I will let him remember his hate for Superman and everything else, even you. What he will not remember is Jason or his suspicions about us. I want to be able to wipe everything away, but if somehow his memory about you is triggered, like yours was with me, that could be a disaster."

Lois nodded her head. She wished they could be rid of Lex for good, but she would not ask her husband to be the executioner, and she understood why he spared human life. As Superman, he was an example of what all of them could be, and by killing someone even as vile as Lex Luthor, he would shatter that example.

After their talk, they spent the rest of the afternoon going over the files Clark had brought home with him and spending time with their son.

* * *

The construction phase of the house was completed on December 16, 2007. Superman wanted to surprise Lois, and did not tell her that the house was completed. He knew from the designs what she wanted for each room and in between helping people around the world he spent his nights painting and wallpapering each room.

In addition to preparing the house for his family, Superman had also met with Bruce who had given him a Kryptonite detector, which was imbedded in a watch. In addition to the new detector, the new watch was also linked to one of the Satellites Wayne Enterprises had in orbit, and was equipped with GPS technology. That Technology would allow him to know when Jason or Lois was in danger, by the bracelets both of them now wore. The technology there was more complex and would respond to their changes in stress levels, and would not be as obvious if someone tried to take them. When the baby was eventually born, they would find a way to keep him or her safe as well.

While her husband worked half days and most of the night, Lois focused on Christmas for Jason. She had been online and ordered most of his gifts under an alias, and once the packages began to arrive at Wayne Tower, one of Bruce's associates would put them through the irradiation process before they were brought to the house. In addition to preparing for Christmas, Lois was also working to help Clark clear the DA. The case was slow going, which bought them time, but there was not one thing in the material they had which pointed a finger to Lex Luthor. Lois had finally decided to focus on the company itself, VGM, though not being able go to in to work and get around impeded her progress.

Sitting at the mahogany desk in her room, Lois was finishing up on some files when someone knocked at the door. "Come in," she called out. As she turned around and the door opened she found Dr. Sanderson there, and remembered the appointment she had put off for far too long. "I completely forgot," she said as she slowly struggled to her feet.

Dr. Sanderson offered her a smile. "I knew that you had, which is why I came to you. How are you feeling?"

Lois sat down on the edge of her bed and removed the shirt she had been wearing. "Not bad. I've been a little tired and it's not very comfortable sleeping at night but that happened the last time with Jason." A chill went through her body as Dr. Sanderson pressed the stethoscope against her chest, and a moment later the stethoscope was against her belly. Lois watched the doctor's face and when she saw a smile she knew everything was alright or hoped at any rate.

"Here have a listen." Dr. Sanderson said giving Lois the Stethoscope. Lois put the ear pieces in and after a moment she could here the fast heart beat of her baby and wished Clark was here to experience it, but then again she knew he could likely hear it without the help of this instrument. The next part of the exam was to measure the size of the baby, and Lois rested against the mattress as that was done.

Dr. Sanderson finished with that and took down a few notes. "I still need you to come in for an ultrasound." Next, Dr. Sanderson took Lois's blood pressure and again wrote on her chart. "Your blood pressure is a little high. Have you had any swelling in the ankles and feet, or any dizzy spells?"

"No. Since getting Jason back, I've been eating well and I haven't felt bad, just a little tired. What do you think it is?" Lois asked praying that this baby would stay put until its due date in March.

"It may be a combination of things. Most likely the stress you were under and not getting enough rest, or it might be mild toxemia. I really need your promise that you will come in tomorrow." When Lois agreed, Dr. Sanderson told her to try and get some rest today and then saw herself out.

* * *

It was just past one in the afternoon when Clark arrived home from work. Alfred greeted him at the door taking his coat for him, and Clark headed upstairs to check on his wife and his son. He found their room empty but showered first and after changing into jeans and an old sweatshirt, Clark crossed the hall to Jason's room. There he found his son watching TV in bed resting against Lois who was sound asleep. When Jason started to say something, Clark put his finger to his lips. He quietly walked to Jason's side of the bed and leaned over his son placing a kiss on his head. "Shh," he whispered as he went to the other side. Clark carefully slid his arms under his wife's sleeping form and easily lifted her into his arms without waking her up. Lois had called earlier that day, worried about the visit from her doctor, and Clark was glad that she was sleeping. He crossed the hall with his son trailing behind and in their room he laid Lois down after Jason pulled the covers back, but not before she woke up.

"I must have dozed off," she said as she yawned and stretched.

"It looks like…" Clark paused a moment as Jason moved past him and watched as his son climbed in bed to rest next to his mother. He could tell that this time was good for both of them and once Jason was settled he continued. "It looks like you needed the rest.

Jason rested his head on his mom's pillow with his back facing her as she held him as close as she could. He yawned listening to them, and tried to fight going to sleep but lost the battle fairly quickly.

"He's out," Clark said lowering his voice to a whisper.

"He's had a long day. I had to put him in time out because he threw a DVD case at me when I told him it was time to turn it off, and your mom put him in the corner because he went sneaking around again. What he needs is a house where wondering around won't cause him harm," Lois told him, wishing that their own house could be done. She had already picked out the new furniture for the baby's room, as well as a new bedroom suite for them and for the guest bedroom. All they needed now was a house to put it all in.

It was hard not to tell her about how quickly the house was coming together, and they had drawn up plans for each room using a program she got from their last realtor which gave him a basic idea of where to put things once the walls dried. "I told Perry today that I needed to go in to the doctor with you," Clark said gently changing the subject.

Thought of the baby, brought up something else for her, and Lois said, "We need to figure out where this baby will be born. I don't think it would be safe to deliver in the hospital, and…" Lois stopped when Jason shook his head, and smiled as his father carried him out of the room much they way he had her just a few minutes ago. When he returned she continued. "I'm not keen on the hospital, nor am I having the baby at home. But there isn't anywhere else safe enough," Lois finished.

"Star Labs. Enough people there know Superman, and the Kleins' know about our son."

Lois thought about that but even then there was still a risk. "I guess that is our safest bet. Do they have what is needed for a delivery, and if need be, a C Section?" she asked. She had given birth to Jason naturally and hoped that this one would be born the same way, but they had to be prepared for an emergency."

"When Becky comes tomorrow, we can discuss it with her, but I'm sure they can get everything we would need."

Now that they had talked it out, Lois felt better, and again tired. Clark settled in bed behind her and soon she went to sleep trying to keep her worrying down to a minimum.

* * *

Five days before Christmas, at three thirty in the morning, Superman inspected the house one last time. Everything was in its place including an artificial tree and ornaments which had gone through the irradiation process. He hoped Lois wouldn't be angry by his work, but he wanted this to be a surprise for both his wife and his son. Jason's room was bigger than his last and there was plenty of room for all of his toys old and new. Everything in the house had been cleaned thoroughly and the new Heating A/C unit was running filtering the remaining germs out of the house. The Man of Steel was pleased with what he saw and he only hoped Lois would feel the same.

Clark was busy at work covering the trial against the DA. He and Jimmy had been down to the courthouse everyday, interviewing as many people as they could and even sitting in on the trial when they could. Both sides were fighting it out and there would not be any sort of verdict until the beginning of they year. Lois was working from home using one of the work laptops to write smaller reports. It was tough on her, being back on bed rest, but her blood pressure would not go down and they were talking about doing an amniocentesis, which just added to her worry. Jason wasn't feeling bad anymore but he was still really tired. Fox told them that the strain had been reintroduced into his body, and was giving him medicines to fight it off, but it seemed a race against time with him, and while there was no illness, the tiredness he was feeling was a result of the strain.

Her focus was gone, and after putting the computer aside, Lois shut her eyes and took in some deep breaths and let them out. Her life felt like it had been turned upside down and she wanted to fight but that would possibly harm the baby she was trying so hard to keep safe.

"Hey," said Clark as he entered the room with her lunch. He could tell she was worried and after putting the tray down over her lap he went to his side of the bed and joined her. "After you eat we need to wake Jason. I have something I need to show both of you." He had watched Lois struggling with her worries for long enough and hoped that by giving them an early Christmas present that at least the worry of being in their own home would disappear.

Lois took a bite of roasted turkey and sighed. "What are you going to show us? Did Bruce find another way to keep him safe?" Lois asked, always the curious one, which served her well as a reporter.

"No, not exactly," he said as he kissed her. "I'll get Jason." He knew if she had her way, she would get it out of him and he didn't want that.

* * *

Riding in a car with a blindfold over his eyes was a little scary even with his mommy holding him. Both he and his mommy had blind folds on, and his daddy would only tell them that it was part of the surprise. It was still really cold outside but after being in the house for several weeks, Jason was glad to be going out again. "Daddy, where is Mr. Alfred taking us?" Jason asked.

"It is a surprise," Clark said. They turned onto the country highway which led to the house and Clark couldn't help but to grin as Lois began to ask him more questions. "If I had to describe it, I would say that it is very comfortable," he told his wife making her groan. His mom and Ben had gone on ahead of them with the Audi and Clark's red truck, taking all of their cloths from the old house and Bruce's with them.

When they finally arrived, Clark opened the door for Jason and after getting his hood pulled up and tied he picked up him and draped a blanket over him. With his free hand he helped Lois out of the car and held her hand helped her along the path leading to the front porch and told her to take two steps up.

Lois began to get a feeling of what was about to happen and clung to Clark hardly believing that this could be real. They stepped inside a place and she heard a door shut. Wherever they were smelled new and when Clark took of her blindfold and she opened her eyes she put her left hand over her mouth. "Clark Kent, what did you do?" she asked as he helped Jason with his hood and then the blindfold. Jason screeched and wanted down instantly.

"Is this my new house?"

"It sure is," Martha said as she and Ben came down a hallway to the right of the back end of the stair case.

Clark knew Lois couldn't be on her feet to much longer and lifted her into his arms. He lowered his head smiling at her a moment before he took her lips in a gentle kiss. "Merry Christmas, Mrs. Kent," he said as they parted.

"Mommy, Daddy. Come and look at my room!" Jason yelled out from upstairs. How he had gotten away so fast was beyond them but Clark carried Lois up the stairs followed by his parents. They found Jason getting out a few of his old cars that he hadn't seen in a long while and watched as he began to play.

Clark put Lois on her feet and put his hand over her eyes. "Now tell me what you think," he said as he led her into the bedroom right next to Jason's.

When Clark moved his hand away and she saw where she was, Lois had a hard time not blubbering like a baby. The nursery had turned out better than she could have thought. The walls were painted a soft pastel yellow and there was a border up of baby animals. The crib she had ordered rested against the far wall, and a little out from that was the glider that went with it. The dresser, complete with a dressing table on top rested against the outer wall below one of three picture frame windows. Against the inner wall was a small bookshelf waiting for books and toys to be placed there, and next to that was a small toy chess. "This is so beautiful," said Lois as she walked over to the glider and sat down.

Clark was pleased to see her so happy and as he walked over to her about to give her a kiss, Jason walked into the room.

"Wow, this is for the baby?" he asked as he moved past his daddy to stand by the side of the glider. "Mommy, do we get to stay here forever now?"

Again, Lois couldn't contain her smile as she reached out and took her little boy's hand. "Yes Jason, we do," she told him.

* * *

**AN:** _I have to thank Beeto for helping me with the ideas to keep Clark's family safe. I would not have been able to do it on my own so Thank you, Thank you. Thanks to all of those who continue to read the story and feel free to review. _

_Eviefan_


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter 30: Christmas at the Kents**

Being home had put most of Lois's worries at ease. There was still Christmas day to think about for Jason, but just being in her own home and knowing that her family was going to be safe made all of the difference. Her blood pressure was still a problem, and Dr. Sanderson still wanted her to stay off her feet as much as was possible. The amniocentesis had not shown any sort of problems with the baby, which was a relief, but Dr. Sanderson told her that it could be mild toxemia. All that could be done was for Lois to get as much rest as she could, but with Christmas and the trial against the DA, and with Lex at large, it was a tall order for the once very active reporter.

Two days before Christmas, on a cold blustery afternoon, Clark arrived home with the items Lois had ordered online for the baby. Once he had hung up his coat on the antique coat rack, Clark carried the boxes upstairs where he could hear Lois and Jason talking in the master bedroom. The door was open slightly and after pushing it open with his arm he entered the room catching their attention.

"Did I get presents?" Jason asked excitedly.

Clark grinned at his little boy as he set the boxes down. "No, these are for the baby, and you can't touch them until we wash them," Clark said as his little boy was about to go for one of the boxes.

Jason sighed, but didn't get upset. He had gotten used to it more or less and was resigned to the limits on his life. He had also perked up since being home and had spent his time exploring, even in the basement, an area Clark and Lois had discussed as making a huge playroom for the kids.

Lois had been sitting on the bed but was now at Clark's side as he pulled the tape off the top of the first box. The first thing she lifted out was a bag of onsies, newborn size. "Jason, you wanted to know how big the baby will be, well," Lois said as she ripped the bag open and took out one of the tiny onsies. She held it up and Jason's eyes grew big. "When your daddy Richard and I brought you home you were still too tiny to fit into this. The onsie she held up was like a tiny t-shirt, but the difference was that the back end of the shirt had a tail that could be pulled together with the front end and snapped into place to keep it from lifting up when they baby was picked up, thus keeping the child warm on a cold winters day.

As his parents got out the rest of the clothes, Jason wished that he could play in the boxes. There were lots of clothes for the baby, gowns, sleepers, and more onsies as well as blankets and hooded towels. "Why does the baby need so many cloths?" he asked.

Lois looked over at her little boy and smiled at him. "Do you remember me telling you how when our baby is born we will have to help him or her with almost everything?" she asked as her son nodded his head. "Well, sometimes babies can be very messy. You used to spit up if your daddy or I fed you too much from your bottle without burping you, and I learned very quickly that I needed to buy more clothes for you. It might be the same for this little one," Lois said as she rubbed her hand over her belly."

Jason made a face when his mommy told him about that. "Is that like when I get sick and throw up?"

Lois chuckled as her little boy came over to her and leaned forward placing a kiss on his forehead. "No, it is not the same. When you throw up, you are sick with a virus. Babies sometimes spit up because they got to full or their tummy gets upset because they are not used to certain foods."

Jason put his hand on his mommy's belly but didn't feel anything. "I think my baby is asleep in there," he whispered. Without warning, Jason found himself turned upside down and laughed as his daddy hoisted him over his left shoulder. "Put me down you silly man," Jason told Clark through his laughter.

Once her husband and son were out of the room, Lois piled the clothes up in the laundry basket and would let either Clark or Martha take it into the Laundry room to be washed. Her doctor still wanted her to stay in bed as much as was possible and after spending her morning going over the documents she had gotten concerning VGM, Lois was tired. As she was getting ready to lie down and rest, Clark came back in, shutting the door behind him before he arrived at her side. "Is he going to take a nap?"

"He is going to rest," corrected Clark. It was easier to get Jason to rest in his bed as long as the word nap was not put into use. "Yes, he was reading some Paddington when I left him. How are you feeling?"

Her lips parted and Lois sighed. "Tired of this. I don't want anymore children. I know I said that before this one came along, but my body doesn't seem to tolerate pregnancy very well. I also figured that if we wanted to add to the crowd that we could always adopt, although I guess that might be tough," she answered, having never really thought about what lengths Clark's mom and dad went through when the found him. She moved over allowing him to sit on the edge of the bed, taking hold of his hand as he began to tell her about that time.

"I was legally adopted by my parents. They had a close family friend who was an attorney, and was trusted with my secret. Bill Mulllins brought them documents and even came up with a story on how I came into their care. It was all filed away in Smallville in her safety deposit box, though I guess now she has it in Montana." He reached out and placed his hand on her belly rubbing there, but as had been Jason's experience he didn't feel any movement, and guessed that was a relief. "Do you need me to bring you anything?"

Lois shook her head as she yawned. "Will you rest with me for a few minutes?"

Clark got up toeing off his shoes before he walked around the other side of the bed. He moved in behind her and eased Lois's body closer to his, kissing the back of her left shoulder as he shut his eyes.

0000

Jason listened with the phone pressed up against his left ear as the General asked him about the new house. The little boy was sitting in his daddy's recliner wearing his dinosaur pajamas and his dinosaur slippers that went with them. It was Christmas Eve and he was very excited about tomorrow. "Do you know what else? I have a huge, big back yard it's so big that I bet you and Nanna could land a plane in it. "

Hearing Jason's enthusiastic voice warmed Sam's heart. He loved his grandson and was glad to hear that he was feeling better, and most importantly that he, Lois and even Clark were safe. There were still questions he wanted answers to, like how it was that Bruce Wayne was financing this for them, and how they were going to pay it all back, but he didn't want to upset Lois. "I'm not sure about landing a plane there Jason, but Nanna and I will try and come see you once you are doing better. Is your mom around?"

"Yes, sir. MOMMY!" yelled Jason at the top of his lungs.

On his end, Sam held the phone away from his ear and would try and remember the next time to tell Jason to take the phone to his mother instead of yelling for her as he had just done.

Lois had been sitting in the kitchen eating roasted pumpkin seeds as she and Martha talked when her little boy yelled for her. As she entered the den she said, "Jason, the next time try to remember to bring the phone to me." She took the phone and kissed her little boy before she answered her father. "Hi, Dad, how are things going on your end?" While she began to listen to her father, Lois sat down on the sofa to the right of where her son was watching Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer. She listened as he told her about the work being done in the house she and Lucy had grown up in where her parents lived in Norfolk Virginia and had to work on not laughing as he complained about her mother's need to do all of this in the middle of the holiday season.

"Now then, enough about me. How have you been feeling?" Sam asked. He remembered well when his grandson had been born. He and Ella flew back home from a Colorado ski trip and when they saw Jason for the first time, he was in an incubator with every sort of contraption known to man hooked up to his tiny body. That had been a hard time for his daughter and thinking about that made him angry at Clark for leaving her.

Lois knew she couldn't avoid his questions for long and shut her eyes. "I've been on bed rest, and I haven't been in to work since Jason came back to us." When he pressed for more she bit back the urge to tell him that it was none of his business. They had come too far for her to start something with him. "I have a mild case of toxemia, which is why I'm on bed rest, but the baby is catching up to the size it should be at twenty six weeks." Jason's movie was over and it was the perfect excuse to get off the phone before she reached the end of her patience with him. "Dad, I need to get Jason to bed. We will call tomorrow. Tell Mom I love her. "Lois let him say goodbye to Jason before she turned the phone off.

"Mommy, I don't know how I can go to sleep. I'm too excited about tomorrow," whined Jason as his mommy got up. He knew he wasn't going to win this one and stood up sulking. "Why does Daddy have to be out tonight?"

The sadness was evident in Jason's voice and Lois put a loving arm around his shoulder. "Your daddy has a job to do to keep everyone safe," she gently reminded as the two of them headed for the foyer.

Jason heaved a deep sigh. He knew he had to share his daddy, but it was still difficult for the little boy to come to terms with that. As they climbed the stairs he asked, "Do you think he will be home before I go to sleep?"

Behind him, Lois held the banister as they climbed the stairs. She felt she was carrying a bowling ball in her belly, and figured that was about right with the weight she had started to gain. When they arrived in his room, Lois walked over to Jason's bed and pulled the covers down for him as he put his slippers in the walk-in closet. It was obvious from the way he shuffled his feet that he was missing his father and as he climbed into bed, Lois thought about having to deal with two children missing their daddy when he was away. Jason's yawn told her all she needed to know, which was that her little boy was indeed tired. "Sleep well, Munchkin," Lois said as she kissed his forehead before rubbing her nose against his.

Jason giggled as she did that and reached out hugging her gently around the neck a moment before she sat back up. "Will you tell Daddy to come in and hug me when he comes back?"

"I will. Now go to sleep so Santa can come." Lois shook her head as he shut his eyes and began to snore and stood up putting her hand on the small of her back.

000000

Christmas Eve was no exception to how bad things could get in a night. Superman had already helped an elderly couple who had been mugged in downtown Metropolis. They had not been injured, just shaken up and once they were safe, he caught up with the boy who had taken their wallet. The young man was maybe fourteen or fifteen years old at the most and by the way he was dressed and his gruff manner, it was blatantly obvious that he had not had a loving home. The boy had been willing to talk to him, which he felt was a start but would not agree to being taken to the orphanage. In the end he wasn't given a choice, and the Man of Steel knew he would likely see him again someday.

Not long after dropping the boy off at the orphanage, Superman overheard a broadcast on TV about a car bombing in London. By the time he arrived it was chaos and as he landed to help the injured he heard another bomb go off not far away. He spent the better part of three hours helping to get the injured to the hospitals and by some miracle only two people had been killed. It was still hard to face that he couldn't always stop people from dying but he had been able to help and had learned to live with the fact that he would not always be on time.

At three o'clock in the morning, Superman landed on the side road twenty miles from the house. The road was hidden by several hold trees and some overgrowth of foliage around the area. He approached an outcropping of rocks and after scanning the area with both his enhanced vision and his hearing, he flipped open a panel and punched in a code on a keypad and a stone opened into the rock. Once he was inside he used another keypad to close the door and set up the alarm. From there it took him two minutes to get to the basement entry, and another 30 seconds to get to the room he shared with his wife. Clark changed from his Superman uniform into a pair of loose fitting grey sweat pants pulled over a pair of red boxers. Once the uniform was hanging in the secret compartment in their walk in closet, Clark walked over to his side of the bed and as he sat down, Lois mumbled that Jason wanting a kiss. He hadn't meant to forget about that, but after the night he had, he was ready to put the day to rest.

Clark stood next to Jason's bed in the boy's room at the other end of the hall, watching him sleep. Being able to come home at the end of a busy night and look upon the sweet face of his little boy took away all of the ugliness he had seen. Clark bent over his son and brushed a light kiss on his cheek without him even knowing that he was there.

Lois was roused from her sleep by the bed sinking down to her left, and with a few grunts she managed to roll over and face the man she loved. "You had a long night. The bombings were on the news," she whispered as she put her hand on his cheek.

"Sometimes, I don't understand this world. I am not sure how the elders were able to convince the people of Krypton to set aside their differences and live in harmony. The holograms of my parents have taught me to respect life, so I can set the example but it seems like the harder I try the more people back away." That frustrated Clark to no end.

Lois moved closer and even though her belly pressed up against him she managed to give him a kiss. "The world is a better place because of your return," she said as they parted. It was uncomfortable to be so close with the upper part of her body bending to reach him. In the past few weeks since Jason's return she had gained the weight that was needed for the baby, but that gain made it harder for her to kiss her husband, something that had once been easy.

Clark helped Lois turn over to her right side and moved behind her. He placed his left hand over her and caressed her belly feeling the baby moving, and shut his eyes when he heard her steady breathing.

00000

All of the water he drank with the cookies his granny let him have woke Jason and he slid out of bed and ran to the bathroom. As he stood at the toilet doing his business he rubbed his eyes and yawned. It was when he was pulling his pants back up that he remembered what day it was. Jason walked to the window and could see the sky getting pink in the east, and a wide smile spread across his face. He ran out of the bathroom and down the stairs turning a sharp left where he stopped. The Christmas lights on the tree were blinking and underneath the tree there seemed to be a million presents. His eyes widened a moment before he ran into the living room to get a better look.

"Hmm, I like it when you do that," Lois said as she felt her husband's lips moving against her neck. Waking up with him by her side was the best way in her opinion to face the morning.

"I would like to continue, but our son is awake and on his way up to get us out of bed," Clark said as he moved gently away from her. As he sat up in bed the door opened and Jason ran in. He was wheezing, but didn't seem to care.

Jason tried to tell them that it was Christmas and had a hard time getting his breath. When his daddy disappeared from the bed, Jason barely had time to turn toward the door before he was back with the inhaler. The little boy took in one puff and sat down on his daddy's lap while his mommy got out of bed. "It's Christmas time," he said as his smile returned.

Lois walked over to a nearby chair set against the wall for decoration more than anything else and pulled a warm red robe around her body. "It is, and did Santa come last night even though you stayed up late?" she teased.

"Mommy!" Jason exclaimed, though he was not angry, just anxious to get downstairs.

"What is all the ruckus in this room?" all of them heard Martha ask.

Jason was out of his lap in two seconds and was pulling his Granny toward the stairs. "You have to see Granny. Santa came even though I didn't tell him what I wanted for Christmas."

While Martha and Ben walked with Jason, Clark and Lois took a more leisurely pace. "What are you thinking?" he asked as they arrived at the stairs. She had been quiet, enough so that he knew she had something on her mind.

"I was just thinking ahead to next Christmas. Next year we will celebrate with this little one there to help us," Lois said as she put his hand on her belly. The baby seemed to know something was going on because she had been getting kicked since she sat up in bed.

Thinking of that made him smile too. Clark held her hand and walked with her down the stairs. By the time they got to the living room, Jason was already holding his first present.

"Hurry, Mommy, Daddy. Granny said I had to wait for you," Jason told them. He was exasperated at having to wait but once they were seated he began to rip open the first present. "More Eragon books. Look, Mommy." Jason stood up and walked the two steps needed to get to both parents. He put the book in her hands before he ran back to open more.

The adults were content to watch Jason open all of his gifts. He had gotten everything from toy dragons, to a racetrack set that looked pretty complex. As the last of the presents was opened, Ben disappeared and a moment later he came in with two large presents tied up in a fabric bag that looked like Martha had stitched herself. "Jason this is for you, and this one is for the new baby, do you think you could open it for me?" Ben asked as he joined his wife on the sofa they had been sitting in.

Jason had been playing with his new dragons but left them alone as he ran to the first bag. "Granny did you make these?" He asked as he turned around to face her.

"I sure did."

Jason pulled at the soft white rope that held the bag gathered up and once it was undone he pulled the bag away finding inside a blue race car. "Daddy, look at this. Mommy look," he called out gleefully as he rolled it away from the bag. He could fit inside of it and it had pedals so that he could make it go. "It has daddy's colors when he has his cape on and his suit."

The car looked like an actual race car complete with stripes and a racing number painted on the sides. The number was six for Jason's age and in a moment Jason was peddling it around the room.

"When did you find the time to do that?" Lois asked her father-in-law.

"When we were still at Bruce Wayne's house. I had most of it finished by the time we had to come here, and Clark flew both gifts there so I could complete them. Jason do you mind opening the other present for the baby?" asked Ben directing his voice toward the youngster.

Once his car was parked by the second gift Jason stepped out of it and pulled at the string on the bag for his baby. When he pulled the bag away the gift he saw there was also grand. "It's a rocking horse," he said as he moved to the side to let his mom and dad see. It was big enough that he could even sit on it, though his car held more interest and Jason got back in and left the room making race car engine sounds.

With Clark's help, Lois stood up and both of them walked over to the horse. It was like the one's Lois had seen in the toy catalog, only much nicer. "Oh, Ben, how wonderful," she said as she ran her hand over the brown yarn mane. She noticed that there was a belt attached to the neck of the horse and realized it was to keep the baby safe from falling off. "Thank you so much," Lois said as she stepped over all of the wrapping and toys to get to Ben. She hugged him and then Martha before Clark helped her sit down. The adults got their turn to open presents while Jason raced around in his car.

Martha had gotten Ben a new tackle box filled with all sorts of lures and other things he would need when he went finishing with his friends at the lake. She had also gotten him a new fishing pole, one of the best, which he was pleased with. She received a new knit scarf made of angora and matching mittens.

While his mom and Ben had a private moment, Clark pulled a box out of his robe pocket and put it on Lois's lap.

Lois had been so distracted by Ben and Martha that she didn't noticed the box until her hand brushed over it. Now she pulled the paper off and when she opened it she found a locket inside. It had a black onyx stone in the middle and 24 karat gold on the rest of it. When she took it out of the box and opened it up she found a picture of Jason etched on one side. "Oh, how beautiful," she said as Clark helped her put it on.

"When the baby is born I can take it back and have the picture etched on the other side. He will also keep updating it as the children grow." Clark looked into her eyes a moment before bringing his lips against hers. He nuzzled her bottom lip before pulling away as they heard the door bell ring. Using his vision, Clark saw through the wall separating him from the foyer and then through the door. "It's Lucy and your parents," he said hardly believing it. They knew about the restrictions Jason had.

"They can't come in," Lois said and then didn't see why not. She and Clark showered when they got home and so far Jason' had only the one ear infection.

She walked with her husband and when the door opened a gust of wind hit her and she backed up a little.

"I know we aren't supposed to be here," Sam began as Clark moved aside to let them in. He had a box of gifts with him, and told them he had used an irradiation facility on base.

As Jason drove his car back into the foyer he stopped and squealed when he saw his aunt and his other grandparents. "General, look what my pappa made for me," Jason said as he got out of his car. He was a fast little boy and hugged his grandpa's legs.

Sam saw the worry in his daughter's eyes but Jason' wasn't letting go. "We all took showers before we came," he tried.

"Well, you are here and it is Christmas," Lois finally said as she shook of the worry. This was a big risk for him but she knew how much her parents wanted to be here and there was no use sending them outside.

While Jason led the General and Ella into the living room, Lucy walked over to her sister looking at her belly. "You know, I think you weren't even half this size with Jason," she teased.

"Oh, you just wait until you have one," Lois replied leading her sister to the kitchen where Clark and his mom had retreated to. They were already getting breakfast underway, leaving the two sisters time to catch up.

0000

By the time Jason's rest time arrived he didn't fight having to lie down in his bed. His nanna sat with him reading his newest Eragon book, while the rest of the adults visited downstairs. For the first time in her memory her father was behaving himself. He and Ben were talking politics and were having a pleasant conversation. Clark had been called away suddenly, and Lois told them that she had sent him to get some of her files from work.

The two sisters were seated in the living room and Lucy was pondering something. "You know he does that a lot." She said.

"Does what," asked Lois playing dumb. So far she had been able to keep her sister away from the truth but Lois knew that it was only a matter of time before she figured it out.

"Lois, don't try and worm your way out of this. Clark is always leaving you and Jason, and it really has me concerned. The last boyfriend I had who did that was calling his ex. Now, Clark doesn't seem the kind of guy to two-time but still."

Lois sighed. "Lucy, it isn't like that. He has more obligations than I do at work, among other things, and he gets called away a lot."

That wasn't even half of the truth and Lucy knew it. "What are you hiding?" Before Lois could answer Jason ran in out of breath with tears streaming down his face.

Lois managed to get down on her knees and held her son close as he really cried. In a moment Ben, Martha and her parents were standing at the entry of the living room with concern etching each of their faces. "Shh, I'm right here, baby," Lois crooned as she pressed her hand against his head. He was supposed to be in bed and she wasn't sure what had happened. "Did you have a bad dream?" She felt his head nod and was relieved when the rest of her family left including her sister. "Take as deep a breath as you can and let it out. There we go," Lois told him as he began to calm down. Lois moved her legs out from under her and sat down on the floor knowing that she would need help to get back up.

"My dream…was bad," Jason managed as he leaned against her left side. He took in another deep breath and let it out rubbing his eyes as he began to feel tired again. "Daddy was flying and the bad man had a bomb like the one General and Pappa were talking about on the TV. The General said that if the bad man put the green rocks in a bomb and it blue up it would kill Superman because all of the pieces. He said that Superman needs to be more careful." Jason began to cry again and snuggled against his mommy as she held him closer.

Lois knew her father was unaware of Superman's relationship to Jason and would have to find some way to keep him from discussing things such as that around the house. "Shhh, your Daddy will be safe, "she whispered as she looked at the entry. No one was there, though she still felt uneasy discussing this down here. "Come on, baby, let's get you back to bed," Lois said. Jason stood up and Lois managed to get turned around using the sofa as leverage to get back on her feet. She held Jason's hand as they went upstairs and once he was lying in bed, Lois propped up the pillow and sat down gathering him back in her arms.

"How do you know that Daddy will be safe?" Jason asked as he continued to sniff.

"Bruce gave him something that will let him know when there is kryptonite around." Lois said as she leaned to the left and kissed the top of his head.

"Is it like our bracelets?"

Before Lois could answer, Clark came into the room looking worried and Lois realized that the stress of Jason's dream must have alerted his father. "He had a bad dream," She said. Lois watched as Clark walked around the side of the bed. He lifted Jason off of the bed and held him against his chest shutting his eyes.

"I was afraid that the bad man would hurt you with green rocks, Daddy," said Jason as he yawned. "Mommy said Bruce made you something that would keep you safe like my bracelet and hers," He mumbled as his eyes shut. It didn't take long for Jason to fall asleep and once he was, Clark laid him down on the bed and walked over to the other side of the bed. He leaned over and put his left hand behind Lois's back and helped her up, leading her down the hall to their room so he could get more details.

"Jason overheard my father talking about the bombs in London with Ben. Daddy was worried that if Lex planted a bomb he might lace it with kryptonite," She paused as he realized what she was telling him.

"And Jason dreamed about that. We need to find a way to keep your father from talking about that sort of thing around this house," Clark replied.

Lois agreed with him but she wasn't sure how they would do that without her dad finding out the truth, and that could not happen. "What do you suggest?" She finally asked.

"Tell him part of the truth, that Jason really loves Superman and that it frightened him when he heard what they were saying. The only thing I can't figure out is why Ben would have that discussion," Clark said not pleased by this bit of news.

"We don't know the full story and he may very well have tried to get Daddy to change the subject, but that usually doesn't work. My father says what is on his mind, which has always been a problem in the past." Lois sighed and leaned forward resting her forehead against his chest as she wrapped her arms around him.

00000

That evening once Jason had been put to bed, Lois got her father alone and tried to explain about why Jason had been so upset. "He saved us from that yacht, and Jason has grown very attached to him. He had a dream after he heard you talking about the bomb. I need you to be careful about what you say around him, Dad. He has had a rough time between being sick and the threat Lex Luthor has posed, and I really don't want to add to his worries." Her voice was almost pleading and she saw a compassionate look in her father's eyes.

"I had no idea that would upset him, and I will try and do better," Sam said. He still wanted answers but he knew that his daughter had a lot on her plate what with the baby and the threat against her family and for the time being he was willing to be supportive.

While Lois talked to her father in the den, Clark was having a similar conversation with Ben. He listened as his mother's husband told him how he had tried to change the subject multiple times and how the General didn't seem to have a clue that the topic of discussion was not appropriate for Jason to overhear. "I am truly sorry that I didn't do better. The next time I will find an excuse to leave the room."

Clark felt better knowing that Ben had made the attempt to change the topic. "Thank you for trying. Hopefully, Lois will be able to persuade her father not to talk about such things while Jason is around." Both of them stood up and headed back toward the kitchen. Soon he would have to leave to make his rounds, though he really wanted to stay with his family. When they arrived in the kitchen, Lois and Lucy were eating some of the pumpkin pie that Martha had made. Clark was about to ask Lois for a bite of the pie when, the General and Ella walked into the kitchen from the den with their coats on.

"Well, we have intruded long enough. Lucy, are you going back with us?" Asked Ella as she held her husband's hand. The snow had stopped and the road conditions had improved a little, enough for them to make part of the trip home tonight.

"Hmm, yes. I need to get back to the dogs." Lucy took one last bite of pie before she stood up. She rounded the table and helped her sister to her feet and gave her a hug whispering in her ear. "Keep your Super-husband safe." Lucy looked at her sister and smiled before she went over to her father and let him help her with her coat.

It was hard to hold in her surprise but Lois managed. She and Clark walked with her family to the door and after hugs and kisses were given they watched them go to their car.

Once he had shut the door, Clark turned around to face his wife. "She knows," he said, getting an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Lois smirked. "You snooped," she said. Clark wore a grim expression on her face, and Lois took his hand. I didn't tell her, she was able to figure it out. Lucy had it figured out before you left for Krypton. She won't tell anyone," Lois said.

Clark sat down next to her on at the table and thought about what she had told him. He had to be careful more now than he had. "We need to tell her that she can't say anything about my secret outside of this house, not even on the secure lines."

"We will tell her and she will understand how important that is. I'm sorry I upset you," she said. She knew the past few days had been rough on him and she hadn't meant to add to his worries. He leaned in and took her lips in a passionate kiss making her forget about the dishes still needing to be washed. While they were still kissing he lifted her into his arms and when they parted for breath, Lois realized he had already gotten them to their room, and liked what he was planning.

00000

Much later that evening, Lois woke up and found his side of the bed empty. There was a note on his pillow and after turning on her bedside lamp, Lois read its contents smiling.

"_My wife, I love you, and as I stand here watching you sleep I am able to think of the future and have hope. Your love has centered me in ways I never thought possible. It is your love that keeps me going when I see the ugliness that I sometimes see while I am away from you. I will be by your side this time when our child is born and I will be by your side as the two of us grow old together. Sleep well. I love you. Love, Clark." _

Lois held that letter to her heart as she went back to sleep knowing that as long as she had him by her side she would never feel the loneliness that had haunted her during those empty years while he was gone.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter 31: A new Routine**

Christmas passed by quickly, and with a New Year looming ahead of them and being in the new house, Lois wanted to get Jason into some sort of routine. Jason had his good days and his bad, and on the bad days when his head and chest hurt and simply walking around made it hard for him to breath, all he wanted to do was sleep. This time, Superman could not take Jason into the air to the direct light of the sun. His body would not withstand such an onslaught of radiation, even with the sun blocking lotion they used the last time. The only thing that kept the strain at bay was the new antibiotic developed by Albert Finnegan, a geneticist who worked for Star Labs and who knew Superman's secret. Together with Lucius Fox, they had bought Jason time, but the only cure lay in wait until after the baby was born.

Since she was no longer going into work, Lois spent a few days jotting down a schedule for her son while Martha and Ben were still with them. Once the new year rolled in, Jason's tutor would return and his schooling would start again. Lois plotted out the time he would spend with his tutor and also his time practicing the piano. When they moved in, Clark had found the old keyboard and Jason had expressed interest in practicing again. He would only be able to work on the songs he already knew, because the risk of too many different people being around him and getting him sick was not one that Clark or Lois were willing to take. Lois also worked a two hour nap into his day, and knew he would not like that, but on his last visit with Dr. Klein, his lungs were congested again and he was running a low grade fever. Due to those symptoms and the effect the strain was having on his body, the doctor had heavily emphasized the importance of Jason taking one nap a day.

Along with making a schedule for Jason, Lois also worked on one for herself. Now in her 27th week of pregnancy, Lois was focused on getting enough rest for herself as well as reducing stress levels, though the latter was more difficult. She loved her job as a reporter and not being able to go in to work did tend to stress her out. Lois felt guilty because Clark seemed to be the one doing all of the work and worried about only having him working because they did not make as much money with her on medical leave. The other frustrating aspect of her life was Luthor. Bruce and Clark had been working together to try and track him down. They had found more houses built using a lead ore but none of the houses had been built or used by Luthor.

Along with the Kent's, Bruce was also looking into VGM trying to find out if there was any link to Luthor, but thus far the documents he had been able to obtain had shown this business to be legitimate. They did everything by the books, though one thing that had caught his attention was the complaint by a former worker about the supports not being built to code. After Lois had interviewed that worker, he had been fired for a reason not connected to his report of the building code, and so far Clark had not been able to track him down. As her pregnancy progressed, Lois worried about keeping both of her children safe. Lex was a madman and she wouldn't even bring herself to discuss with Clark what she thought would happen if he found out about this new baby.

……….

While his parents talked about work, Jason pushed his food around his plate. He missed his grandparents, and had grown accustomed to having them around. The little boy loved being in the new house, and loved having all of his toys to play with, but he also missed his friends, and his puppy. When his Aunt Lucy and his grandparents came over to the house for Christmas, she had brought pictures of Lucky, and Jason could hardly believe how big she was getting. That was something else that worried him. He wondered if Lucky would even remember him, or if she would be happy when she got to come back to the house to live with him.

"Jason, you need to eat a little bit more of your dinner," said Lois as she glanced at her son.

Jason sighed in response and pushed his plate away. "Mommy, may I be excused please?"

A frown creased Lois's face when he asked that. Increasingly she had noticed how withdrawn he was becoming and she didn't like that either. It took her a few moments of struggle, and finally Clark had to help her to her feet, but once she was standing, Lois walked over to where her son was sitting. "Jason, will you tell me what is wrong?" she asked.

"I don't want to be sick anymore. Why can't I get better? Why does the bad man hate me?" Before his mommy or his daddy could answer those questions, Jason slid off of his chair and ran out of the kitchen heading for his room.

Once he was gone, Lois dropped her head. "We need to find Lex," she said as Clark came to stand by her side.

"Do you have any suggestions? Bruce and I have been trying, but we are not finding anything conclusive, and the man that works for Lex isn't talking. He turned his head toward the hallway and frowned. "He's crying," he said. Clark took her hand and the two of them headed upstairs to try and comfort their little boy.

…………..

Frustration was the strongest emotion Lex was feeling these days. Marcus's capture and the transfer to Gotham city made him realize that his time was running out. He wanted to take Superman down, and would use any means to do that. In his study, Lex was sitting at his desk looking over the progress on the Casino and the entire east dock project. Everything on that end was going as it should and so far neither Lois Lane nor her partner Clark Kent had been able to connect him to VGM. A smile spread across his face as he thought about how easily that had gone. One of the first things he had done after he and Kitty got back from the Island was to put the Vanderworth fortune in several offshore accounts under different names. It had taken time to do that, to create false businesses and to make them look credible, but Lex knew that he couldn't have an individual tied into those accounts. Having the money tied into various businesses and some fake charities had served him well. Once the money was secure, he had looked into VGM which had once been owned by the Vanderworth's, but again with some careful planning, all of the documents that had once linked the family to the company had been destroyed.

The other thing he had done to insure that no one in the family would talk was to place threats on them, and that was where his connection with some of the mob syndicates in Metropolis was paying off. The Vanderworth relatives who remained there had been threatened, and so far none of them had talked. There had been a niece, who had been interviewed by Lois Lane, but she had not given the reporter any information, and that pleased Lex. Lex picked up his cell and dialed a number before putting it to his ear. "I need you to do me a favor," he said when Robert picked up. "I need you to track Lois Lane, and her partner Clark Kent. I need to know when they leave the Planet and where they go. I want a report in a week." Before Robert could answer, Lex hung up the phone. He reached out and picked up a cigar and lit it then took in a deep draw shutting his eyes.

…………………..

While Jason rested in bed settled next to his mom, he had his eyes shut as he took his nebulizer treatment. His daddy was gone again, and that had just added to the sadness he was already feeling. After a moment the little boy opened his eyes and reached out with his right hand putting it on Lois's belly. "Mommy will the baby have asthma and allergies like me?"

Lois had her right arm wrapped around her son and gave him a gentle squeeze. "I don't know Munchkin, I sure hope that we can keep this baby healthy," she answered. It had taken her and Clark nearly an hour to calm Jason down, and as he was settling down, Clark had to leave to go help with some rioting that had broken out in New York City.

"If the baby does get sick then I can teach them how to use my inhaler," offered Jason. He still referred to the baby as they, not wanting to call him or her it, and sometimes even called the baby his baby.

The fact that Jason was very protective of the little one she carried safe in her womb warmed Lois's heart and she hoped that he wouldn't feel jealous once the new baby arrived. Once Jason finished his nebulizer treatment, Lois helped Jason remove the mask and then set it on his dresser before she leaned back against the pillows.

"Mommy, did you like Aunt Lucy when she was born?" asked Jason as he yawned. He had already taken his antibiotics and the eye drops which kept them from forming matter in his eyes that made it hard for him to open when he woke up in the morning.

"I was eight when she was born and I was very excited. When your Nanna and the General brought her home I always wanted to be with her," Lois told him.

"Did she cry sometimes?"

"Not too much. Your aunt had a lot of attention from me and Nanna, and she was a very quiet and happy baby."

Jason was silent for a moment, thinking all of that over. He wondered if the new baby would be quiet or if he or she would cry. He had never been around babies all that much and was excited and a bit concerned.

"Now it is time for you to get a good night's rest," Lois whispered as she sat up. It was a struggle to get out of the bed, but Lois managed and after pulling the blankets over her son's small body, she leaned forward and kissed his left cheek. "Sleep well."

"I love you, Mommy," said Jason as he turned over on his right side facing away from her.

Lois stood at his bedside for a moment content to just watch over him. There were times when she wondered how much this new baby would change their lives, and if Jason would feel left out. She quietly left his room, leaving the door open just a crack before she turned and headed down the hall to the master bedroom.

……..

It was midnight when Clark entered the house through the tunnel entrance in the basement. Once the tunnel door had been shut he walked upstairs checking the three doors and the windows in a matter of five seconds before he arrived at the master bedroom. The light coming from the crack beneath the door told him his wife was still awake as well as the sound of papers being shuffled around. Lois was just as determined to find Lex as he and Bruce were, and Clark was well aware that being at home was not easy on her. When he opened the door and entered the room, Lois looked up from where she was seated Indian Style on their bed. She had on a pair of baggy sweat pants and sweatshirt, and looked tired.

"So did you find anything?" Asked Clark as he walked over to her side of the bed. He leaned forward and brushed a kiss against the corner of her mouth.

"Not one thing. There has to be something, like VGM. That has to stand for something, and yet the CEO I spoke with told me it has always been VGM and not an idiom for something else," Lois replied as she pulled of her glasses rubbing her fingers over her nose. She was tired, but there had to be something.

"Why don't we work on this in the morning?" suggested Clark as he moved some of the folders and papers out of the way so he could sit down next to her.

Lois sighed, shaking her head. "I can't sleep, every time I lay down my back starts hurting or the baby starts kicking, and I can't get comfortable."

Clark reached out placing his hand on her protruding belly and felt the baby kick. He moved his hand away and stood up clearing away all of the folders and files, moving them over to her desk before her came back. After helping her stand up, Clark pulled the covers down and moved over to her side. He held on to her as she sat down and after she was resting on her left side he walked around to his side of the bed. Once he was spooned against her body, he moved his right hand over her belly and began to rub her there. Their baby was very active this evening, but he kept up the gently motions of his hands and slowly the movements he was feeling beneath his hands began to taper off.

When the baby was finally still, Lois let out a breath of air. "Thank you," she whispered barely able to keep her eyes open. She felt his hand move from her belly to her right cheek. Clark moved her hair away and a moment later she felt his lips brush over her, and his whispered voice saying that she didn't have to thank him.

Clark remained awake long after his wife fell asleep in his arms,. His mind drifted back to what Lois had said about VGM, and he had failed to think about the letters standing for something. He knew that they didn't have too, but now he wondered if there was something to that. Tomorrow he would try to go down to the docks and see if he could find anything along those lines. As he was drifting off to sleep he heard Jason whisper, "Daddy?" Carefully Clark moved away from Lois's body and turned over finding his six year old son standing by his bed side. Jason was scrubbing his eyes, and Clark quietly moved from the bed. Once he was standing he lifted Jason into his arms and carried him back down the hall to his room.

"My head is hurting," Jason whispered as his daddy laid him back in his bed. The little boy shut his eyes as his father kissed his forehead and then opened them as he sat down on the edge of his small bed.

"You don't have a fever," Clark said reaching out with his left hand to stroke his fingers through Jason's hair. He knew that Jason was prone to the headaches, sometimes without fever, and could tell that his little boy wasn't comfortable. "I'll be right back." Clark stood up and went to Jason's bathroom half way between his room and theirs and got out the Motrin. He also got a small glass of water and returned to his son's bedside finding Jason rubbing his eyes again.

"I want a different flavor the next time," Jason said through a yawn. He took the small medicine cup his daddy put in his hands and drank every last drop of the orange flavored fever reducer. When he took the water cup Jason took a few sips of that before handing it back to his daddy. "Don't go," Jason pleaded when his daddy stood up.

"Shh, let me rinse this out and I'll be right back."

After his daddy left, Jason found the red dragon that his granny had made for him, the one he now called Eragon, and pressed his forehead into his pillow. When he felt the bed shift, Jason looked up at his daddy, and told him that his head was still hurting.

Clark had Jason scoot over and leaned back against the pillows, drawing his son back against his body once he had settled in.

"Will it hurt when the baby is born, to get the stuff that will make me all better?" Asked Jason as he yawned again.

"Shh, you need to go to sleep. It's very early in the morning." Clark replied. He knew that if he told Jason how that would all work that his son would worry about that until that day came. It only took a few minutes for his little boy to go back to sleep and once he had, Clark got out of the bed without waking him. Once Jason was covered up and he was sure that his son would stay asleep, Clark returned to the room he and Lois shared hoping to get a little sleep before the new day officially began.

…………..

Jimmy was sitting at his desk loading new pictures onto his computer when Clark arrived by his side. "Hey Mr. Kent, I got those pictures of the fire downloaded," the young photographer eagerly reported.

Yesterday there had been a fire at a small home not far from where Clark used to live. The pictures Clark was viewing had a few shots of Superman helping the local fire department, and he could tell that his young friend was excited about that. "Those are great, Jimmy. The Chief should be pleased with them." That made Jimmy smile and Clark grinned at him before he got to the point of his visit. "Jimmy, I need to go down to the docks and see if I can find anything else about VGM. Lois seems to think that those letters stand for something."

"Do you want me to come along?" asked Jimmy, though it was readily obvious that his friend wanted that. He gathered up his things while Clark left to tell Perry what they were doing and once they got the all clear from the Editor in Chief, the two of them headed for the streets to get a cab and begin their day.

………….

While Jason watched Toon Disney on the TV downstairs, Lois had returned to her room, and had just gotten out of the shower when she heard her cell ringing. After grabbing the new robe her parents had gotten her for Christmas, and pulling that around her body, Lois managed to get to the phone before the call ended. "Hello? Hi, Mom." Lois listened as her mom asked her about her and Clark bringing Jason down for the New Year. Ella assured her that they would have the house cleaned, but Lois knew it would be too great a risk. "Mom, I wish we could but he's been having those headaches again and we can't chance him getting some sort of infection. No, we are planning to stay here with him this year. "Lois sat down on the edge of her bed shutting her eyes. "I know you do, Mom. Listen, I just got out of the shower and I need to go check on Jason. I love you too. Give my love to Daddy. Bye."

Watching Disney was fun, and Jason was engrossed in a show called Out of the Box, not even aware that his mom had entered the den with his clothes and his medicines. When she walked up beside the recliner he sat up and let her help him with his shirt while he watched the group of kids make crafts. "Mommy, can we make the pirate looking glass like they are doing?" Jason asked as his mom pulled his red polar fleece sweat shirt over his head.

Lois looked at the TV and smiled at her son as he stood up and began to take his pajama bottoms off. "We would have to go to a crafts store and get you some new paper and the supplies like they are using."

Jason pulled on the matching bottoms before he sat back down in the recliner. "Will you and Daddy go and get that so I can play pirates?"

"I think we could work that out. Now what would you like to eat?" Lois gathered his pajamas under her left arm as he shut his eyes.

"Scrambled eggs and fried bologna like what Pappa made," Jason replied as he started to watch his show again.

The mention of the bologna was enough to make her queasy and Lois was glad that they were out of that. "The eggs are a go, but we don't have the bologna. There are some left over pancakes, how about some of those?"

"I only want eggs, and chocolate milk," Jason told her as she left for the kitchen. His show was over and he was starting to watch another show called PB and JOtter when she told him his breakfast was ready. "Ahh, Mommy, I want to eat it in here," Jason called out, not budging from his spot.

For the past few days her son had been watching more TV than she usually allowed and it was time to get things back to normal. Lois walked into the den keeping her right hand against the small of her back. The extra weight gain was making her back hurt more than it had been which was another reason she was ready for the baby to be born, but on it's due date and no sooner. "I know you love watching TV, baby, but I think we have all been doing too much of that lately." She held out her hand and in a moment the two of them were walking to the kitchen with the TV turned off.

……………

With the Holidays still in session, there were no construction crews building on the docks, which gave Clark and Jimmy a chance to get a good look around. Unlike Lois, Clark tried to do things legally by looking in windows and occasionally using his X-ray vision but after an hour of searching there was nothing to be found.

"So where do we go now?" Jimmy asked as the two of them headed back to the main street to get a taxi.

"Maybe the library. There might be some periodicals that talk about VGM in the early days." Clark wasn't sure there would be much on that company but it would be worth a shot. As they arrived at the street he picked up the sound of gun fire. "Jimmy, why don't you head that way, I have something I need to check on back at the docks," Clark told him.

Before he could respond, Clark was on his way back to the construction site so, Jimmy hailed a cab. Once he was seated in the back he told the driver to take him to the library.

Once Jimmy was gone, and he was in a thick covering of trees in a small park area, Clark changed out of his coat and tie and into his Superman Suit. He shot up into the air so fast that no one would be able to see him, and headed a few blocks away. There were two boys in their teens lying on the ground shot in the chest and Superman picked up the sound of the retreating car. Already on lookers were rushing to help the two boys, so Superman headed down the street flying over the souped up Chevrolet Capri. He flew lower getting behind it and with great ease he grabbed on beneath the car and brought it to a stop. The three boys in the back all had on ski masks and fired at him, but then their guns were taken out of their hands and before they could blink all three of them were out of the car. Superman had tied them up with some rope they had in the back seat of the car and had taken off their ski masks.

"You can't do that," Earl yelled as he heard police cars heading their way.

"I think I just did," Superman replied. When the police arrived he gave over the weapons and once he was sure the boys were secured, he headed for the library to find Jimmy and see if he had been able to dig anything up about VGM.

……………..

Lex was listening to _Don Giovani_ when his cell began to ring. "What do you have for me?" he asked.

"She isn't here," Robert relayed. He had followed Clark Kent and his photographer friend to the docks and knew when the boss found out he would likely yell. "Kent and that reporter were snooping around at the Docks. I didn't get to see where they went, but Lois wasn't with them."

Lex shut his eyes. "She is likely home with her boy. I want you to find out if they are still in Gotham and get back to me." Lex hung up phone and stood up. If Kent was down at the docks that meant he was trying to find out about VGM, and Luthor knew he would have to find a change of plans and fast. He got back on his cell phone and contacted Thomas. Thomas was one of the CEO's of his company, and worked hard to keep him happy, something Lex liked. "I want you to make sure there isn't a way to link the Vanderworth's to VGM." Lex listened as Thomas assured him that there would not be a way for any reporter to find out the secret. "You make sure that is so, or it is your head." He got off the phone and sat back down at his desk. The time to wipe Superman out was coming up sooner than he would have liked, and Lex realized that he might have to go for the Man of Steel directly, instead of threatening his family. With Superman out of the way, Lex could build up his empire and this time there would be no one there to stop him.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 32: The Key**

The new year started many things. For the DA, it was the continuation of the trial against him, and as the evidence began to pile up, Mr. Zachariah had little hope that his side would prevail. Both Clark and his wife Lois still held to the belief that this had nothing to do with him and were doing as much as they could to try and get his name cleared. Bruce had agreed with them that Marcus may hold all the answers but so far Lex's lackey wasn't talking and seemed to enjoy the fact that the people who wanted something from him were squirming. The fact that he wouldn't talk was a constant sore point with Clark. They had the house, and their son was still for the most part healthy, but the fact that they couldn't find Lex was draining on him.

Now in her twenty eighth week of pregnancy, Lois was feeling a lot better. There were times when she felt like a beached whale, but Dr. Sanderson was very pleased with the baby's growth, and the overall health of both of her patients. Lois was aware of the stress her husband was under and shared in his pain. She also wanted Lex to be found and was doing all she could from home to try and help him with the DA defense and as well finding out as much as she could about VGM. At her suggestion from the other night, Clark had gone down to the library and copied some of the periodicals that he had been researching that dealt with VGM in its early days. There wasn't a whole lot of information on the company, though it had been based out of Chicago, and Lois had already suggested that he go there and see if there was any sort of information at City Hall concerning that company.

While his parents worked on trying to exonerate the DA, Jason was back to his studies. His tutor came to the house during the week to make sure that he kept up with his school work. He was working at a second grade level, and was already reading much better. His tutor, Miss Gretchen, was really nice, though Jason still missed going to school. Aside from his studies, he was still required to take naps and once a week he had to endure seeing his doctor to be sure the strain was still being fought off by the medicines he took on a daily basis. So far they had been working, but he still tired easily and that was one more thing he hated. Jason was excited about being a big brother, and sometimes went into the baby's room trying to imagine what it would be like. His mommy told him that the baby wouldn't be able to do much after it was born, but Jason was all ready to tell his brother or sister all about his favorite things, especially dragons. He was still sad that his mommy wouldn't name the baby Eragon, if it was a boy, but guessed that people might say mean things if his brother had that name.

* * *

Jason sat on his mom's bed watching as she opened the big package that his dad had just brought home. He was already in his pajamas and his hair was still damp from the bath he had taken a half hour ago. He yawned and rubbed his eyes and then looked as she lifted another box out of the brown one. There was a picture of a baby on it in a small plastic bath tub. "Why do we need that?" Jason asked, realizing from what he read that it was a baby bath tub.

Lois put the box aside and reached out gathering her son in her arms. The box and its contents had already gone through the irradiation process, making it safe for her to hold her son in light of handling the package. "The baby will be too small to take a bath in your bath tub, and since he or she can't sit up, using a baby bath makes it easier for your Daddy and me to get the baby clean." When her son yawned again Lois leaned slightly to the right, placing a kiss on his head. "Alright, Munchkin, it is time for you to go to bed."

"But, Mommy, I'm not sleepy," whined Jason as another yawn came and went.

Clark walked out of the bathroom at that point, clean from a shower and had on a pair of dark pajama bottoms. "Come on pal, I'll read you some more Eragon," he offered, but Jason stayed where he was.

"I want Mommy to ready to me," he replied, resting his cheek against her left side.

Since she had started staying home on a regular basis, Lois had noticed Jason's attachment to her increase. She enjoyed being able to spend time with him, but tonight she also had some work to do on a small article she was writing up for the paper. "Jason, why don't you go with your daddy? I need to do some work for Uncle Perry tonight," she encouraged.

"But I like being here," Jason told her as he played with the wedding band on her finger.

Lois held him just a little closer. "I like having you here, baby…" She was about to say more, but knew that it would be better if both of them tucked him in tonight. Yet another thing that had changed was that Jason upset easier these days and she had learned to pick and choose her battles. "Why don't all three of us listen to the story," she suggested as she looked at Clark. He left the room and Lois cleared away some of the files she had been looking through for VGM. "Will you prop up some of the pillows so all of us can snuggle in?" Lois asked, as she shifted uncomfortable on her side of the bed.

Once he was sure he wasn't going to have to leave, Jason turned around and propped up the two pillows that his dad used. As he finished doing that, his dad came back with the book and all of his medicines. Jason made a face but took the first cup of pink liquid and held his nose. He drank it down and then took a drink of apple juice shaking his head as he tried to get rid of the taste. The pink stuff was the medicine that was keeping the strain from attacking and killing off the rest of his Kryptonian cells and it always made his tummy hurt even if he ate food. The next medicine was the Motrin to keep the headaches from bothering him at night. He had constant headaches now and Becky had told his parents that it was due to the strain, and there was little more that could be done. The next two doses of medicine were for his allergies, and once that was done, Jason turned to his left and leaned back taking a deep breath as his mommy put the eye drops in his eyes.

When Jason was finished with his medicines, Clark used super speed to take everything back to the kitchen and put them away. He was back in the master bedroom in seven seconds and after he settled in bed next to Jason he opened the book and began chapter ten of Eragon book 1.

* * *

Once Clark had left to take their sleeping son back to his room, Lois reached out to her right and pulled her lap top in front of her. When her stomach gurgled, Lois looked down. "I just ate," she whispered as she rubbed her left hand over her belly. After pulling up the word document she had been working on, Lois reached out with her left hand and picked up her notes, giving them a brief glance before she began to type.

_Crime rates have dropped dramatically in the past year. A recent survey in two of the major crime ridden cities shows that the crime rate has dropped fifty percent in the past twelve months, and all of this might have something to do with the return of Superman. A source who wishes to remain anonymous believes that this is true. "Superman's presence in our daily lives makes criminals more aware that they can't get away with the same old thing." The source also stated that, "I think we will see less crime once people get used to having Superman around." _

Lois looked over the rest of her article and felt satisfied. She looked up as her husband walked back in with a jar of peanut butter and some saltines and shook her head. "You want your wife to look like a beached whale?" she teased.

"I think you look beautiful," he replied as he helped her with her computer.

"Good answer," said Lois as she took the butter knife and dipped it into the peanut butter. Once she had the cracker properly coated, Lois lifted it up and took a bite shutting her eyes. "Okay I'll admit that you were right to do this, I think this baby is going to be big."

Clark moved to the other side of the bed and sat down beside her. "So what did Perry have you working on?" he asked.

"Hmm, "Lois tried as she chewed up the rest of the cracker. "He wanted me to do a follow up on Superman being back for over a year. You are having a positive influence."

"At least with some things," he agreed ruefully. His mind took him back to the fact that Luthor was still at large. "Bruce has scheduled another meeting with Marcus, though I don't think it's going to do anything more than make my anger grow," he admitted.

That concerned her, knowing that her husband was constantly thinking about this man, and that his anger was building. "Clark," she said as she pushed the plate away. She managed to get turned around and took both of his hands in her own. "You have to push past this. He wants to provoke you, and you can't let him. I know how you feel. I get angry about having to hide out here and not be able to get out there and help the two of you find Lex and put an end to it, but I've had to put it aside for our baby." Lois took both of his hands and pressed them to her belly. "You are the strongest man I know, and you will find Lex, just don't let this anger consume you and make you do something that I know you will regret."

Beneath his hands Clark felt the baby moving inside the protected comfort of Lois's womb. He knew that she had a point, and agreed that he had to let it go. "I know you are right Lois, but all of the things he has done, to you and Jason…" Clark stopped and shut his eyes. Sometimes if he let it, the images of the past haunted him. He would never forget that day after he had stopped the quake in California, and had arrived at Lois's car too late. That day she had died and he had held her lifeless body in her arms. The anger he had felt then had been insurmountable. Then he had defied the laws set for him and had backed up time to keep her with him. Now there wasn't a way for him to reverse the threads of time.

Lois watched him struggle and reached out placing both of her hands on his cheeks, cupping his face. "He wants this Clark, and you can't let him win like that," she whispered.

He opened his eyes looking at the woman he loved. The love he saw for him in her eyes warmed his heart, and gave him the strength he needed to slowly push aside his anger. "I don't know what I would do without you," he admitted as he leaned forward. He met her lips, brushing them with a tender kiss, and felt her hands move from his face to the back of his head, pressing him closer. Clark deepened the kiss knowing that right now they both needed this, the chance to share their love in a more physical meaningful way.

* * *

It was a quarter past eight in the morning when Clark arrived at his desk. For the first time in a long time he didn't carry around the anger he had been feeling since getting Jason back. Lois had been right to tell him that Lex wanted him to feel that, to torment him and change him, and he knew that he could not allow that to happen. As he sat down at his desk and began to power up his computer, Jimmy approached his desk. "Good morning, Jimmy."

"Hey, Mr. Kent, how are Lois and Jason doing?" He asked. Jimmy knew that Jason was still sick and missed seeing both the little boy and his mother.

"Both of them are doing better. Lois misses being here, but I think she is enjoying her time spent with our son. How did those pictures turn out?" Clark asked, referring the pictures Jimmy had taken at the New Year's Celebration in New York's Times Square.

Jimmy beamed at his friend, glad that Clark had asked about those. "Just great. My picture is going on the front page of this afternoon's issue along with Fred's report on the events." Jimmy was about to ask Clark another question when the Chief hollered for him to get to work and leave Clark alone.

After Jimmy had gone, Clark powered up his computer and was about to get started when his cell began to vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and flipped it open holding it to his ear as he said, "Hello."

"You didn't tell me goodbye, Daddy," Jason said from his end.

The sadness in his son's voice was evident, but when Clark left the house Jason was still asleep. Both he and Lois agreed that letting Jason rest was more important than Clark waking him up to tell him goodbye. "Jason you were still asleep, and I did come in and kiss you goodbye," Clark said softly.

In his closet, hidden from his mommy, Jason rubbed the tears from his eyes. "But I miss you when you don't tell me bye in the morning."

As much as he wanted the time to talk to his son, Clark had a job to do and shut his eyes. "I know you do pal. Is your mommy with you?" He asked. When Jason was silent Clark realized that Lois may not be aware that Jason was making this call. "Jason did you ask mom if you could call me?"

"She would have said you were busy at work," he mumbled as he hugged Eragon close to his chest.

"I need to get back to work, but we are going to talk about this when I come home tonight," he said gently but at the same time with a firm tone of voice.

Jason shut his eyes. "I don't want you to tell Mommy," he whispered trying very hard not to cry.

"I know you don't, but all three of us need to talk about this. Now why don't you find Mommy and give the phone to her." There was a moment of silence before the phone went dead and Clark took in a deep breath and let it out. He needed to call Lois back and have her address this now but as he was getting ready to hit the speed dial he picked up a TV broadcast about a forest fire raging out of control in Colorado. He looked around the room seeing that no one was paying any attention and quickly pulled up a word document and began to type out his report using a touch of super speed. When he finished, thirty seconds from when he began he saved the document and stood up stretching. One more look around the room, and Clark quickly left the area heading for the roof so that he could make his way to the forest fire and help put it out before it damaged any of the near by homes.

* * *

Marcus sat in the meeting room tapping his foot on the ground. He knew who was coming to see him and didn't know why the reporter kept insisting on seeing him. There was no way on god's green earth, or in hell that he was going to tell Clark Kent what he knew, and he found humor in that. When the door to this left opened, Marcus didn't even look up. He heard Clark ask him if he didn't mind answering a few questions and laughed. "Yeah I mind," he said as he composed himself. "Look there ain't nothing you are getting from me so give it up."

"You work for Lex Luthor, and I know what he does to his lackeys who mess up," Clark said. As before, Marcus's heart rate elevated and Clark hoped that if he kept up his visits, at some point the man's defenses would break down and he would spill what he knew.

It was starting to get very warm for him, and Marcus took in a deep breath and let it out. "What makes you think I work for Luthor?"

"You planted a device in Ms. Lane's phone and it is common knowledge that he's after her and her son," Clark stated. The truth was that there were not very many people who knew that. Before he had arrived for the interview, Lieutenant Gordon had agreed not to tape what was being said. There were laws that protected the inmates and Gordon was well aware that he wasn't following procedure, but in this case he also knew that Clark needed a way to get answers out of this man.

Marcus looked down at the table feeling sweat form on his forehead. "I never knew who sent me in there," he lied. He looked at Clark and then back at the table and could tell that the reporter didn't buy that. "I want an attorney," he finally said.

Clark knew that there was no more he could get out of him today, but he was also satisfied with the progress. It was more obvious than ever that Lex had sent Marcus to do the dirty work and he wanted to ask more but this guy seemed to be getting smart. Once Marcus had been led from the room, Clark shut off his tape player. He knew that there would be no way he could print what was just said but legally if there was a way to use that in court at some later time he wanted his tape there for evidence.

Just as he was about to leave, Bruce entered the room and shut the door. Clark could tell by the look in his eyes that something was going on.

"I just received a call an hour ago that the security camera's located on the north side of the Planet picked up something of interest." The two men sat down and Bruce told Clark about the car which had been seen on various days parked outside of the Daily Planet building, always in the same spot. "Today they watched him follow your taxi down the street in front of the planet for several hundred yards before you went out of view. I think you need to be very careful and watch your back wherever you go. I am also fairly certain that Lex might be trying to track you to Lois and Jason."

Clark shut his eyes and let out the breath of air he had been holding in. "I need to find him. I'm not getting anywhere with these interviews, other than to know that he does work for Luthor, but he won't talk. Is there a way to offer him some sort of plea bargain if he cooperates?"

Bruce had thought about talking to Rachel on that end but wasn't sure if that was the right way to go. This man was a criminal with an ugly history that went beyond working for Lex Luthor. Marcus had a 15 year rap that made Charles Manson look sane and it was amazing that he had been out of prison on parole for over a year. "I need to let you see his rap sheet before we take that under consideration," Bruce stated as he pulled that out of his briefcase and handed it to Clark. "I have Alfred waiting to take you back to the Planet, and just to be on the safe side you might want to use the entrance from the garage so that you won't be seen or followed, at least until we can find some legal way to apprehend this person."

Clark had already scanned the forty page document and handed it back to Bruce. "I think I have a story for my wife to work on," he said as he tried to keep his anger in check. It seemed that the prison system was not as reliable as it had been in the past and some sort of reform needed to be put in place. How this man had gotten out on payroll was beyond him and well worth looking into just to see if Luthor had anything to do with it. "Thank you," he said as he held out his hand.

Bruce took his hand. "Keep them safe," he said. He let go of Clark's hand and left going to the left to leave from the back entrance in order to avoid drawing attention to his departure.

As Bruce left, Clark gathered his things and walked to the back entrance. He scanned through the walls and when he didn't find anything out of the ordinary, Clark emerged from the building and went to the car which awaited him.

* * *

Jason was sitting in bed with his mom looking at his a picture book when both of them heard Clark call out that he was home. "I need to go check on Eragon," Jason said as he quickly got off the bed and ran out the door. He made it to his room before his dad got to the stairs and once the door was shut, Jason had to catch his breath.

At the bottom of the stairs, Clark had heard what Jason had said and had also heard his retreat from their room. He had not forgotten the call Jason made this morning despite how busy his own day had been. When he reached the top of the stairs he turned a hard left, walking past the stair well to the end of the hall where he knew Lois was waiting.

Jason had finally caught his breath, and was playing with his new racetrack set that his Daddy had set up beneath the window on the outer wall. It had a loop and Jason liked seeing the cars defy gravity. "Hurry the blue car is going to beat you," Jason called out holding both controls in his hands as the car made its way around the track which was set up in a figure eight style. He heard the knock at the door and kept racing. "Come in," he called out as the blue car passed the red one. "Oh no! You're going to lose now," Jason called out, getting very excited.

From behind his son, Clark watched as Jason's cars made their way around the track. He knew that his little boy loved that toy almost as much as he loved the race car Ben had made for him. Seeing Jason happy was a relief, but Clark could not ignore what had happened earlier in the day. "Jason you and I need to have a talk," Clark said. He watched as Jason seemed to think about that a moment and knelt down as his son turned around.

"Why do we have to talk about it?" he asked, wanting to go back to playing with his race track.

Clark sat down on the floor and held out his arms. In a moment Jason was hugging him, and Clark shut his eyes. He had driven home, and had also kept a close eye on the traffic around him. The car that Bruce had described had followed him until Clark lost him in the five O'clock traffic, and the whole way home, Clark thought about how he could get to work in a safer way. His only thought on that had been that he would have to fly in and take his chances that way, but even that created a risk. "We do need to talk about this morning," Clark said as he gently moved Jason to stand in front of him. "I know that you missed me, and I realize that you might have gotten angry about that, but I asked you to do something for me and you hung up instead, didn't you?" he asked using a gentle tone of voice.

Jason looked down at the floor not liking where this was going. "I didn't mean to do that," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"I need you to tell me the truth," Clark said with a little more authority in his voice. He watched as Jason's shoulders fell forward and heard his 'yes' which anyone else without super hearing would have missed.

"Did your mommy ask you not to call me?" Lois was not yet aware of what had gone on that morning, and Clark wanted to get the answers from Jason before he brought her into this. She was working on more small articles for the Planet which gave him time to talk to Jason.

Jason's lips drooped and he sniffed. "She said you were busy, but I needed to tell you how I felt, Daddy," Jason said trying to make him see how important that had been.

Clark reached back out and gently pulled Jason into his arms helping him sit down in front of him as he held him close. "When Mommy or anyone else asks you to do something what are you supposed to do?" asked Clark.

"I need to listen, but I don't' like that," he said in a poutful tone.

Clark bent his head forward and placed a kiss on top of Jason's head as Lois opened the door.

"Hey what is going on in here?" she asked seeing the sad expression on her son's face.

"Jason called me this morning after you told him not to," Clark began. He watched as her expression changed from concern to anger, before she let that pass.

"What do you have to say for yourself?" Lois asked as she walked over to where her husband and son were sitting. Clark stood up and carried Jason over to his bed and set him down on the edge.

"I'm sorry," whispered Jason.

Lois shut here eyes and counted to ten. Being angry with her son was not how she wanted to end her day, and she knew she needed to hear the rest of what had gone on. While Jason sat on his bed, Clark filled her in and when he finished, Lois walked over to their son and sat to his left. "You knew better than to call Daddy especially after I said not to," she told him, keeping her voice steady and calm. "After dinner you will go to bed without a story and tomorrow you will spend the first part of your morning in here. You can look at your books or color but you will not be allowed to play with your toys until after your nap." When she finished Jason was crying and her heart constricted a little. She hated punishing her son, but at the same time she was not willing to let him lie about something, disrespect his dad and get away with it. Gently, Lois wrapped her arms around her son holding him close.

* * *

After dinner, and once Jason had been put to bed, Clark shared with Lois what he had learned from Bruce. "I lost him in the city before I crossed the bridge, but Bruce is right, we need to find a better way for me to go into work."

"First Jason and now this," Lois said as she leaned back against the pillows propped up against the head board. "Is there a way we could offer Marcus some sort of deal in turn for the information he knows about Luthor?"

That had been the same question he asked Bruce and it sometimes amazed Clark how they could think and say the same things. "I asked Bruce the same question," Clark informed her as he finished getting dressed for bed. He walked to his side and settled in next to her wrapping his left arm around her as he pulled her closer to him. "He gave me a rap sheet that wasn't all that pretty, and might be something to look into. Marcus Branamen was arrested fifteen years ago for grand larceny and assault. After his one year prison sentence he was released on good behavior. A year after that he was back in prison for attempted robbery and raping the woman whose house he broke in to. It gets worse and worse as the list goes on. His last prison sentence was twenty years for being part of a group who murdered the owner of a jewelry store. He got the light sentence because he agreed to work with the acting DA at the time to track down the rest of the crime syndicate he was working with. "

"How long did he have to go?" Asked Lois, as she held his left hand in her hands. Already her mind was spinning on possible by lines for the paper, along with how they could get the man to confess to working for Luthor.

"Five more years. If I had to guess, I would say that Lex has something to do with his release from a prison in Albany, New York. I think tomorrow I'm going to have a look up there and see if I can't find some answers. What about you? Did those calls you made today give you any more insight on VGM?" Clark listened as she told him about the dead ends she had run into. His wife had also been in contact with the coroner in Gotham who had the last body found by the east side docks. There was still nothing that would tell them who the man had been, and Clark knew how frustrated she was.

When she finished telling Clark about her day, Lois shut her eyes. "Do you know how easy it would be for us to just pick up and leave? Sometimes I think about that time we spent in Italy and how right all of that was." Lois had never been one to run away from a problem, because she had been raised by her father to stand up and fight for what she wanted. As much as she wanted to fight, right now, Lois couldn't do much and had to remain on the sidelines with her son. Her job was to keep Jason and their unborn child safe and she was committed to that, but it was still hard.

"We will get back what he has taken away," Clark told her, speaking of Lex. As she drifted off to sleep, Clark shut his eyes going over what he had learned today. The key to finding Lex Luthor was Marcus, and possibly finding the man who had followed him today. Once they had some sort of leverage with Marcus, Clark was reasonably sure finding Lex would be simple.

* * *

**AN:** _Thanks goes to **Beeto **for the Beta. Okay lengthy note here. My reviews are down, but I have have 188 hits on the previous chapter and over 200 on the rest of them. Please review even if it is one word. I am in the process of revamping the entire story. I didn't realize how important POV was in keeping with a story, I think **Maaike** pointed that out a long time ago but now that I understand it I really want to go back and redo the entire thing. I figure at this rate I might have this done before the next movie comes out in 2009. I'm not going to take the story down, but I'll be replacing chapters as I edit them. I'll leave an AN when that happens in upcoming chapters which I'm already starting to work on differently. Also the dark undertone of the story is pretty much at an end. Jason's going to have a tough time of it but not as bad as the last time. Alright thats about it. Thanks for all of you who read even those who don't review. You don't have to but it would really really help encourage me..._

_One more thing, the article that I have Lois working on was taken from the official site, links to The Daily Planet there and so it's not my idea. _

**_Eviefan_**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter 33: Moving in **

The cigar smoke drawn into his lungs did little to calm the anger and resentment he felt toward his enemy. Lex Luthor had not worked this hard just to have one of his own men betray him. So far Marcus had not said anything, but Lex knew his kind and if it got tough, Marcus would go for the easiest way out. He took another draw from his cigar and then blew out the smoke. Robert had just called and said that Clark Kent had not been in to work for the past two days. He also said that he felt they were on to him, which was one more thorn in Luther's side. In spite of himself, Lex knew that he had let this bitterness toward Superman blind him and because of that he had acted in haste. It was time to cut the losses and regroup.

Determined to one day have his way, and not get caught in the process, Lex stood up from the desk chair and punched in a number on his cell. "Pull out," Lex said to Robert. He grumbled as the man on the other end began to curse at him. "I don't care what it costs you. I'm not going to lose everything by acting on my anger, and you would do well to remember who you are talking to," Lex said. "You'll have your money, just go to the 53rd Street Bus depot and look in the locker." Lex hung up and smiled. If he couldn't have what he wanted, the very least he could do was cause some minor damage and move on.

* * *

The smell of old books and fresh paint filled his nostrils as he entered the Chicago Public Library. Clark unbuttoned his long, winter dress coat, and took it off as he walked to the reference desk, catching the attention of a young librarian.

"May I help you?" asked the librarian, smiling at the gentleman who stood before her.

"Um yes, I needed to look up some old periodicals dating back twenty years." Clark replied as he thought he saw a flash of annoyance in her eyes. Her smile quickly returned as she came out from behind the desk and told him to follow her.

Five minutes later, Clark was seated at one of the microfilm projectors, and was looking over what Molly had brought out for him. There were twenty microfilms containing articles about VGM, and Clark took his time to scan over them. The company was created in 1962, in this very city, by a local architect. There were no names connected to it other than VGM, and the architect who started the firm was not mentioned in the first few films Clark scanned. As he finished another article, his cell phone began to vibrate in his pocket. Clark knew he couldn't talk in the library and left his seat. He walked past several tables and into the lobby where he answered the call finding Lois on the other end. "Hey, I think we hit the jackpot on VGM, no names…" Lois cut him off.

"Clark, you need to come back now. There was an explosion at the 53rd Street Bus Depot, and the fire is out of control." Lois spoke softly, and Clark wondered if Jason was asleep or in the same room.

"I'll be right there," he replied. After he hung up, he went back into the library finding the librarian seated at her desk. "Would you mind copying those microfilms for me? I have a meeting I forgot about, and I'll need to come back by to get them before I head out of town." Once again he saw a flash of annoyance in her eyes but chose to ignore it as he left his name with her, and went back to the Microfilm projector, getting his gear before he headed outside.

* * *

The explosion had already killed ten people and had injured several hundred more that had been waiting for the charter buses to take them to various destinations. Officer Martinez had not seen anything this bad since the three Kryptonian villains arrived to cause trouble for Superman. He, along with most of the police precincts in Metropolis, were doing all they could to keep the crowd that had gathered to watch the efforts of the fire fighters safely out of the way. The big question on his mind was where Superman had gone off too. A seasoned veteran of the force, Officer Martinez knew that Superman wasn't just there to keep the people of Metropolis safe, but it had already been a half hour and the fire was threatening to spread to the surrounding buildings.

* * *

Superman arrived at the scene hovering high above the crowd that had gathered to watch the efforts of the firefighters far below him. Just as Metropolis had come into sight, the warning tone on his watch had sounded in a series of high pitched beeps, letting him know that kryptonite was present. The detector had transmitted the information back to the Bat Cave, and Bruce was already in contact with him through the small cellular devise within the complex watch he wore under the left sleeve of his suit.

"The signal is coming from the fire, and the radiation levels are dangerous," Bruce said on his end.

For a moment Superman considered what Bruce had just told him. He had not been exposed to kryptonite since he flew the huge mass Lex had created into space, and was not sure how it would affect him now.

"I can take care of the fire, but I need you to try and track Luthor," He said. Once their connection was terminated, He scanned the area and a few blocks away found an officer. Superman wasted no time and flew down, landing a few feet away drawing the young man's attention.

Officer Reynolds had been trying to keep the crowds under control and quickly noticed the sudden silence. As he turned around he saw Superman walking toward him and listened as the Man of Steel asked him to try to get the crowds closest to the fire to move back. As he used his two way radio relay that information, Superman flew back into the sky.

* * *

Jason gazed up at his mommy as she pulled the covers over his body. He hugged Eragon close, giving his dragon friend a kiss. "Is Daddy going to be gone all night long?" He asked once she finished.

Lois sat down on the edge of his bed despite the stiffness in her back. She reached out with her left hand and cupped his soft cheek. "I don't know Munchkin. Your daddy has had a busy day." Lois knew that he and Bruce were focusing their efforts on finding Lex. He had phoned, once the fire had been put out, and informed her about the kryptonite-laced bomb. Both of them knew Lex was behind it, and that worried her more.

As his mommy sat on the edge of the bed, Jason watched her for a moment before he said, "Mr. Bruce will keep my daddy safe. He gave us our bracelets, and daddy said that he gave him a watch so that the green rocks won't hurt him."

Her son used a very matter-of-fact tone, and Lois smiled as she leaned in and placed a kiss on his forehead. "You're right. Mr. Wayne is doing all he can to help daddy keep us safe. Now I want you to go to sleep. I promise that when Daddy comes home I will send him in here to give you a kiss."

"And a hug?"

Again Lois smiled at her little boy. "Yes Jason. I will make sure he gives you both a kiss and a hug. Now, go to sleep." After giving him one last hug and kiss, Lois put her hand behind her and pushed off of the bed. Once Jason's lights were off, she pulled the door shut half way, leaving it partially open so that Jason wouldn't get scared.

Back in her own room, Lois reached behind, placing her hand on the small of her back. She was nearing her thirtieth week of pregnancy and hated all the discomfort that came with that. The baby was still for the time being, but most of the time it felt like her unborn child was playing soccer. Lois bent over as far as she could and shut her eyes. It had been a long, worrisome day since the fire. She knew that Clark had found something out about VGM and was anxious to look at what that was. As she straitened back up she walked to her side of the bed, and after propping up the pillows against the head board, Lois settled down in bed pulling her laptop in front of her as she powered it up.

* * *

Jason's steady breath along with the occasional creak the house made as it settled into the foundation, were the only two sounds Clark focused on as he stood by his son's bed. It was a few minutes past midnight, and he was glad to be home. He reached out and laid his hand gently against the left side of Jason's head. He and Bruce had done all they could to try and track Luthor, but once again there had been no sign of him. Clark bent over his son and placed a kiss on his cheek, moving his hand away as he straightened back up. Jason didn't stir an inch and after lingering there for a moment longer, Clark headed down the hall to the room he shared with his wife.

He entered the room knowing that Lois was awake, even though the lights were turned off. In the blink of an eye he changed out of his Superman suit, into a pair of pajamas, and as he settled into bed, Lois asked him how the search for Luthor had gone. "Not good. It will be a few days before they will be able to tell where the bomb originated from." Clark rested on his left side and moved closer to Lois spooning against her back as he reached his right hand over her pulling her even closer yet.

"What did you find out about VGM?

He could tell by the tone of her voice that she was tired, but Clark knew she wanted answers.

"I haven't had a chance to look over any of what I brought home, but there are twenty separate articles posted in the Chicago Sun Times going back twenty years. I'm hoping that it will say something about the founder." What Clark was really hoping for, was that somehow all of this led to Lex Luthor, but that was a tall order. Luthor had managed to vanish and he didn't like that, not with Jason, Lois, and the baby being potential targets.

With her back pressed up against his chest, along with the heat generating from his body, Clark felt Lois's body begin to relax and smiled as she said, "Our baby had the hiccups earlier this evening." He pressed his hand up against her belly but didn't feel any real movement from the baby. Clark was disappointed that he had missed that, and hoped that Lex would be found soon so that he would have more time to spend with her and their son.

* * *

It had been easy to book a flight out of New York. Everyone in the press was focusing their efforts on the 53rd Street Bombing, as it was now being dubbed, and Lex was now enjoying a Martini in first class. He was on his way out of the country, heading for the Virgin Islands to yet another home he had had Gertrude purchase while she was still in good health. Of course they had used an alias, and it had taken half of a year to get all the international jumbo in line, but he had a safe place to go to regroup and figure out what he was going to do next.

"Can I fill your glass?" asked a pretty young stewardess

Lex smiled at her. "My dear woman, that would be very kind of you," he answered, holding out his Martini glass. She smiled at him before moving on to the next seat and Lex sighed in contentment, as he sipped at his drink.

* * *

With Jason settled in doing his school work with his tutor, Lois was looking over the documents Clark had brought home last night. He was already gone for the day, and she missed him. The first few pages printed from the microfilm at the library in Chicago talked about the expansion of VGM to cities outside of Chicago. After ten pages of short articles, Lois was beginning to lose hope. Just as she was about to set the papers aside, she did a double take and held up page twelve. "Maxamillion Vanderworth never thought that his company would ever leave the confines of his birth city," Lois read out loud. Excitement coursed through her veins and she could hardly believe what she was reading. Reaching to her left, Lois grabbed her cell and hit one. Two rings later she had Clark's voice mail. "Clark, this is your wife. You won't believe what I found. I think we have a way to get the DA cleared. Call me back as soon as you get this."

After she hung up she grabbed her lap top and typed in Google's Web address. She typed in Maxamillion Vanderworth and frowned when she didn't find anything. It was worth the try, and next she logged into the data base at work to try and see if the _Planet_ had ever published anything on him.

* * *

As Jimmy snapped pictures of what was left of the bus depot on 53rd street, Clark talked to the fire inspector who had not found the source of the explosion. The radiation levels from the kryptonite were at a low enough level that Clark could be there, just not too close. "Was there any motive, maybe some employee holding a grudge?" Clark asked.

Inspector Sullivan sighed, and said, "So far none of the employees that we interviewed have reported any strange behavior, but we still have a long list ahead of us. I'm sorry Mr. Kent. Right now that is all I can report."

Clark nodded his head, as he began to feel a little clammy. It was time for them to leave. "Jimmy, do you want to grab a bite to eat?"

"Sure, what did you have in mind?"

"Um, maybe Moe's Deli," Clark said as they walked to the curb. Clark whistled and a cab stopped in front of them. Once they were on their way, he began to feel better, and by the time they were sitting down to order lunch he was back to his old self.

* * *

"Mommy, why does my head hurt me?" Jason was resting in his parents bed, leaned up against his mother's left side with his cheek pressed against her chest.

His day with his tutor had been cut short because of his head hurting him, and Lois hated that for her little boy. "It has to do with the sickness that you have," Lois answered honestly, as she rubbed his back.

"When daddy finds the bad man, are he and Bruce going to kill him?"

That surprised Lois. She had not expected her son to ask that question and for a moment she didn't know whether to be angry or saddened. "Jason. It is not your Daddy's job to hurt people, even the bad ones. He and Bruce will find Lex Luthor and put him in prison where he will spend the rest of his days." She felt Jason sigh, and gave him a gentle squeeze. Lois knew how Clark felt about Lex, and it still worried her from time to time, that he might act out in anger before he realized what he was doing.

"The bad man said that Daddy wasn't there to keep him in jail. What if he is able to get out again, and then he might hurt my baby and me, and you," Jason said, in a frightened tone.

"Shhh. Daddy is going to be here with us for a long time and Mr. Luthor won't have a chance to get out of prison, not this time." Once Jason was asleep, Lois moved away from him. It wasn't easy, but she managed to get off the bed on her own. After pulling the comforter over his body, she headed downstairs to get something to eat.

Lois was seated at their table eating a turkey sandwich with dill pickles on the side when Clark arrived home from work using the basement entry. She quickly swallowed the bite of sandwich she had just taken, and started to stand up, but he was at her side in a moment.

"Don't get up," he said, knowing how hard that kind of motion was for her of late. He bent forward and they shared a brief kiss before he sat down next to her. Once he was seated, he began to tell her about the morning he and Jimmy had spent down by the bus depot. "Don't worry, I didn't get close enough for the residual kryptonite radiation to do much to me," he said, as a reply to the look of concern she gave him.

"Do they have any leads?" She asked.

"Not right now. The inspector was down there when we arrived, but he didn't have much to say."

A smile spread across her face as she thought of her find. "Those documents you brought home may have the answers to all of this. VGM's founder was a man by the name of Maxamillion Vanderworth. There wasn't anything in the articles about his family, but if I would bet money that he is connected to Gertrude. If we can prove that, then maybe we stand a chance at finding Lex before he can do any more harm."

As she finished her lunch at a leisurely pace, Clark voiced his interest in going back to work. He had already eaten with Jimmy and after she was done, Lois agreed that he should go back. She really wanted to be able to get back into the swing of things, but right now there wasn't a way. Once he had changed back into the suit, Lois walked over to him and wrapped as much of her arms around him as she could. She lifted her head and they shared a kiss. Once he was gone, she headed upstairs to see if she could do some more digging on _The Planet's_ site, stopping in to check on Jason before she got back to work.

* * *

As soon as he was seated at his desk, Clark made a call to the Chicago Sun Times requesting a copy of any back articles they had on Maxamillion Vanderworth. He also asked if there was anyone still working there who might remember the man, and within a few minutes he was on the phone with a man ten years older than Perry who recalled some of the paper's dealings with him. "Did he ever mention any family?" asked Clark, as he took down some notes.

In Chicago, seated in his office, Don Brody the editor of the paper cleared his throat before answering Clark. "You know, it has been such a long time that I can't really remember if that come up in our interview. I think he was concerned about keeping his family out of the article, and focused primarily on his expanding business.

Clark jotted that down and had no further questions for Mr. Brody. "That is all I have for you today, but if you remember anything at all that may vary from your articles would you mind giving me a call here?"

Once Clark had given the man his work number he hung up and stood up. He walked over to Lois's desk and stood there scanning the drawers. He remembered a while back that she had done an interview with one of Gertrude's nieces, and was hopeful that she had her notes filed somewhere in her desk. As he looked, Clark thought back to that time remembering that Lois had not had much success talking to the young woman, but hoped that with the passing of time they could get her to tell the a little more. When he didn't find what he wanted, he returned to his desk. After Clark opened a word document on his computer, he began to type out the notes he had taken from Mr. Brody, making a rough outline for a possible article later on.

Perry had already agreed that he and Lois could work on VGM and take any angle they needed. He knew that they needed to find Luthor and was among one of very few who knew that the mad man had targeted his family.

* * *

While Jason played in his bathtub, Lois sat on the toilet seat close by. Her back was hurting her again, and she had wanted to try and get a few more things done with the papers Clark brought on VGM, but her little boy didn't feel good and had wanted her to stay with him.

"Mommy? If my daddy can help lots of people in the world…" Jason sighed and looked down.

Lois watched her little boy for a moment before she struggled to her feet. She placed her hand on her back in effort to support her self before she moved over to the tub. "Come on Munchkin, we need to get you dried off and into something warm," Lois said as Jason obediently stood up. She held his hand as he stepped from the tub to the bath mat on the blue tile floor. When he was steady, she reached to her left and took the towel that had lain folded on the bathroom counter and shook it out before she wrapped it around him. Keeping her hand pressed gently against his shoulder, Lois guided him out of the bathroom. When they arrived at his room, they met Clark at the top of the stairs.

As soon as he saw his father, Jason went into his arms, as Clark knelt down, and rested his head against Clark's shoulder.

With her son in good hands, Lois walked back to the bathroom and bent over as far as she could pulling the plug on the drain allowing the water to begin to disappear out of the tub. Once she had put the bath mat on the side of the tub, she went down the hall to the room she shared with Clark and decided that a shower would make her feel better.

* * *

After he was dressed in his Buzz Lightyear pajamas, Jason stood between his fathers legs with his eyes shut as his dad rubbed his hair dry with the towel. "Daddy, why can't you make me better?"

Clark stopped drying Jason's hair for a moment before he put the towel aside and lifted his little boy into his arms, cradling him against his chest. "Jason, if I had a way to make you better then I would have done it a long time ago," he answered as he bent his head down and kissed Jason's nose. "I can do many amazing things, but being able to cure people of illnesses is unfortunately one that I can not do."

"When the baby is born she will be able to help me, but why can't you help me like she can?" Jason had just recently taken to calling the baby she instead of they, and the rest of the family was starting to say the same thing.

How he could explain this to Jason without confusing him was something he knew he had to try, and so Clark began. "Do you remember when I told you about where I came from?" He asked. When Jason nodded his head, Clark continued. "I told you I came from Krypton. Because I was born there, I am a Kryptonian being." He waited and Jason frowned. "Being is another word for person; do you understand what that means?"

"Like I am a human person, so you are a Kryptonian person?" Asked Jason, smiling as his dad praised him for his astute observation.

"You are a part of your mother and a part of me, so you are part Human and part Kryptonian." Again he waited and when Jason didn't seem confused by that he continued. He explained to Jason about the baby and how she would be more like him and better able to help him. Jason had many questions, but he was getting tired. When Lois came in from her shower, Clark was grateful for a way to change the subject. He knew that one day Jason would need to know about his Kryptonian side but right now with all he was going through, Clark didn't want to cause him any undo worry.

"Have you two eaten anything?" Clark asked as he still held Jason cradled in his arms. When Lois shook her head, Clark stood up and they headed down stairs to remedy that.

* * *

As she leaned against Clark's left side while they sat against the pillows in their bed, Lois asked him about the rest of his day at work. She listened as he told her about the interview he had with the editor of the Chicago Sun Times and was discouraged that there wasn't anything new that the man could give them.

"Lois, didn't you interview one of Gertrude's great nieces sometime ago, when you wanted to cover how Lex and taken the fortune away from the family?"

Immediately she knew what he was getting at and smiled a moment before she frowned. Clark had been right to call the Chicago Sun Times first, because the time she had contacted Gertrude's niece she had not gotten very far with the young woman. Still it was worth a shot. "I did, and I think I still have her number in my files at work." When he told her he had scanned her desk, Lois shook her head and told him that they were on her hard drive. "When you go in tomorrow, look at the files under my documents. There should be a folder labeled Vand. The write up of what Aimee told me should be there."

Clark felt her back tense up and moved his left hand behind her pressing against the small of her back, which was the area of greatest discomfort for her. Lois responded by leaning forward and after puling his right arm from around her he began to massage her back hearing her sigh in relief. There was more he wanted to share with her, but Dr. Sanderson had already told them that for now they would have to do without making love. Lois was still at risk for early labor, and neither of them wanted to take a chance, but it wasn't easy.

As his hands worked to ease the sore muscles in her back, moving under her the shirt she had on, she wished there could be more between them but they couldn't take any risks. She shut her eyes as his hands continued to work their magic. "I could get used to this," she whispered as he finished. Lois was very close to sleep and sighed in contentment as he slid both of them down against the mattress. Lois rested on her right left side, letting the worries of the past day slip from her mind. Everything was as it should be and soon she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Resting with his body spooned up against Lois's back; Clark moved his right hand over the swell of her belly. The baby wasn't moving, but he could hear the heart beat along with Lois's. He focused hearing to beyond the room and found Jason's steady breath, relieved that his son was having a good nights sleep. Tomorrow Clark would go in to work and try and find Aimee, hoping that maybe she would be willing to talk to him, or Lois. It was time for Lex to be brought to justice, and for his family to live freely, instead of in fear of what the next day would bring with him on the loose.

* * *

**Authors Note:** _Thank You to **Beatrice Otter** for the Beta reading for me. I owe a big thank you for the reviews I got on my past chapter. You have no idea how nice it is to get feed back so again I'll ask you to leave a review even if it's just a few words. Thank you goes out to the 218 hits I got on 32, and even to those who don't review, though I wish you would, but I won't nag anymore :-)_


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 34: Closer to the Truth**

The young woman seated across the table from him was in her mid to late twenties. She had long strawberry blond hair, and freckles dotted most of her face. Clark had placed the call two days ago, after finding the information on Lois's computer where she said it would be. He had not expected to hear from Aimee Ackerman so soon, but was pleased that she had come all this way. Clark could tell by the beat of her heart and by the way she was fidgeting that Aimee was nervous, and he tried to reassure her. "You don't have to worry Mrs. Ackerman. What you tell me will be off the record." She had informed him of the threats by the mob and admired her for coming.

Clark watched as the expression on her face changed from one of worry to curiosity, and confusion. There wasn't a way that he could tell her about Luthor, and how he had threatened to hurt his own family, but Clark cleared his throat and tried to give her some sort of explanation. "Right now, we are interested in finding Luthor. If we reported anything, he might read it in the paper and have a chance to go into permanent hiding." As he told her that, Clark had a feeling in his gut that his enemy had already managed to do that very thing, which would make finding him difficult and time consuming.

Aimee sat quietly as she considered what he had told her, and Clark wasn't sure if she would continue. When she finally looked at him she had a look of determination in her eyes. "Great Aunt Gertrude believed that keeping criminals in prison for life, or for however long wasn't the right course of action. She believed that compassion was needed to change them. When my family found out that she was talking to Luthor, we did all we could to convince her that he was up to no good." Aimee took a breath and let it out before she continued. "Somehow he managed to get out of prison, and when he did they took off. For months no one knew if she was alive or dead. We tried to gain access to her accounts, but already Lex had found a way to keep that from us. It only took him a year and a half to hurt her."

When Clark lifted his brows in question, Aimee tried to clarify what she had just told him. "Before he was let out of prison she was of sound mind. There wasn't anything wrong with her, except that she was an older woman living all alone in that big house. I think, perhaps, that was why she was driven to start talking to him. We all had our own lives, and we took for granted that she was self sufficient."

As she continued to tell him her aunt's story, Clark began to see how much this had affected the young woman seated before him. Even though she kept a composed expression on her face, there was a tiny edge to her voice which told him how much this hurt. When she finished, Aimee took in a shuttering breath, and a part of him wondered if he should continue with this interview. Clark knew a good reporter would go on, but he also knew that she wasn't comfortable with this conversation. "I'm sorry if this is hard for you, but there are a few more questions I have."

"Go on and ask them. If I can do anything to help find him then I will."

"Was Gertrude ever in a relationship with a Maxamillion Vanderworth?" Clark waited as Aimee looked down and when she looked back up tears had welled up in her blue eyes. He reached to his right and handed her a tissue.

Aimee took the tissue, and dabbed at her eyes before she took in a breath and began. "He was her husband. There isn't much printed about him after he let the company go global, and much of that has to do with Aunt Gertrude and the way he died. No one knows for sure how it happened, but one night he didn't come home. Two days later they found him dead in his car, just outside of Chicago. His car was parked in an abandoned train yard hidden inside a box car. The best any of the detectives could figure, it was mob related. After he died his partner, Jack Davidson, took over the company. He did his own thing, and when he asked Gertrude if he could buy my uncle's share of the company for five hundred million dollars, she agreed to let him have it." Again Aimee wiped her tears away, watching the reporter write down notes of the conversation.

Clark finished jotting down what she had just told him, before he glanced back up at her. "Do you know if Lex controls VGM? Some of the work being done down at the East Side Pier is being handled by that company."

"I wouldn't be surprised if he was. My husband and I, as well as most of the family, feel that he poisoned her. The autopsy revealed that she died of pneumonia, but it doesn't add up Mr. Kent. She was healthy until a few months before we all gathered at her house. I'm sorry but there isn't much more I can do for you. I will ask that you keep this confidential."

Again there was the edge to her voice, and Clark stood up, waiting as she gathered her things. When she was ready he offered to walk her out to her car, but she declined and headed on her way. Clark watched her go, and once she was out of visual range he moved quickly. Once his things were left at his desk, he used super speed to move through the mass of reporters who had deadlines to meet and didn't notice his passing. Two seconds later he was up on the roof top in his suit.

Superman launched into the air, and hovering fifty feet above the city, he homed in on Aimee. She had just hailed a cab, and closer look of the car showed that she was in great danger. The driver wasn't who he seemed to be. He pointed a gun at Aimee as she tried to get out of the car, and began to drive into the flow of traffic. Superman flew down from the sky, past the tall buildings, and just over the taxi as people from the sidewalks watched. Using his heat vision, The Man of Steel focused on the engine making it overheat.

When the vehicle sputtered and stopped he went into action. Superman made fast work of apprehending the driver and flew him over to a officer who had ridden up on his motor cycle. "Officer I think you might find this man's story interesting," said Superman, as he pulled the gun out of the holster on the man's hips.

"Thank you Superman. I'll make sure he gets taken down to the station for a little visit."

Once the man was cuffed, Superman walked over to the taxi where Aimee was sitting, looking frightened and confused. "Are you alright Miss?"

Aimee blinked a few times, and stuttered a few more, before she found her voice. "Yes. I guess I should have let Mr. Kent walk me to the curb. They knew, Superman. There have been threats made to my family; I just didn't think they would do this here in broad daylight."

He knew that he had to get her someplace safe, and Superman thought of Officer Martinez "If you don't mind, I would like to take you down to the main precinct. There is an officer there who can help you if you will allow that." When Aimee agreed, he helped her out of the car and an instant later they were airborne.

* * *

It was late afternoon before Clark arrived home, and after securing the door leading from the tunnel into the basement he made his way upstairs, arriving in the kitchen. Noise coming from the TV alerted him of Jason's whereabouts, and after draping his dress coat over one of the kitchen chairs and placing his briefcase on the table he walked into the den.

Jason was seated in the recliner with his eyes glued to the TV. His son didn't even notice his approach, and only when Clark placed a kiss on his forehead did Jason acknowledge his presence enough to give him a brief hug, before he was drawn back to the TV. Clark turned around and faced the television, watching as a boy in a cartoon became a dragon. "What are you watching?" Clark asked, as he knelt down on the left side of the chair.

"Jake Long, American Dragon," Jason answered in a breathless tone of excitement.

It was evident that his son wanted to watch the show. When Clark gave Jason a kiss on his forehead, he felt warmth against his lips. Jason had a fever and Clark frowned. He stood up, gazing down at his little boy. When he left his morning Jason had been just fine. Clark turned around as Lois arrived with the Children's Motrin and a glass of water. He made it to her side in less than three steps, and after they shared a hug and a brief kiss, Clark took the medicine and the water and went back to Jason. "Hey, Mommy brought something for your fever."

"I'm not sick Daddy," Jason said, as he looked from the TV to where his Daddy was kneeling in front of him.

Clark knew that his son hated having to take medicine, but he also knew that if they didn't keep up with all of this, Jason would get really sick. Behind him, Lois informed Jason that he could have some of his leftover Christmas candy, and instantly, their little boy took the small plastic cup from his hands. Clark had the water ready and once Jason had washed that down, Lois handed him a candy cane. With Jason's interest back on his show, Clark walked with his wife to the kitchen, noticing that she had reached her left hand to the small of her back. "Do you want me to give you a massage?"

Lois rinsed out Jason's water glass, and put it in the dishwasher before she turned around to face her husband. "I would, but if you did that I would go to sleep, and I don't want to do that. What I do want to know is how your interview went."

Clark smiled at her, as he reached out and pulled her gently into his arms. Her belly pressed up against him and Clark could tell she was tired as she sagged slightly against him. When she lifted her head, he lowered his and brushed his lips against hers. After they parted, she had an expectant look in her eyes, and he smiled before he gave her one more kiss. "Well," he said as he led her over to the kitchen table.

Once she was sitting down he began. "She was worried about meeting with me, and I promised her that the paper would not publish anything she said. What Aimee did tell me was that Gertrude believed in showing inmates compassion, and that somewhere along the line she met with Luthor. She isn't sure how he got out of prison,."

A smile spread across her face, and Lois kept that smile as she said, "I remember how mad I was that he gave the black-out to you. So it was likely Gertrude's doing that got her into so much trouble. Did Aimee tell you how she died?"

Clark nodded his head. "She said that in the last weeks she had pneumonia, but she was also baffled by that. Aimee told me that her aunt was the pillar of health, which makes me wonder if Luthor didn't have her infected with a disease like with Jason," he said. It was slowly beginning to add up. He could have used Gertrude to test out how introducing a virus would work, but he hadn't known about Jason then. Clark came out of thought as Lois put her hand on his own. "Maxamillion was Gertrude's husband. He was found murdered in his car a few miles away from the city in an old train yard."

"Mob connected?" Lois asked, as her reporters instincts kicked in.

"No one was sure who did it, but Aimee and her family seem convinced that that was the case."

* * *

Lois wished she could have been the one to interview Aimee, and finding Luthor now was almost as important as keeping Jason and the baby safe. She took in a deep breath and let it out. "There is more isn't there?" she asked. There was a look in Clark's eyes that told her something else had happened.

"After she left, I followed her as Superman. She got into a taxi and the driver had a gun. I could tell he wasn't supposed to be there, and was able to keep her safe. After an officer took the driver, I flew Aimee to the main precinct to talk with Officer Martinez. Her family has been threatened by the mob, which is likely why they didn't want to talk to you to begin with."

Lois remembered talking to Aimee on the phone all those months ago. Back then, she hadn't gotten much out of the younger woman, and now it added up. "Lex has to be behind that too. Sounds like we need to make a trip to the courthouse or at least you do."

She would have said more, but Jason came into the kitchen rubbing his eyes. Lois watched as Clark lifted him onto his lap and frowned as he started to fall asleep. All day today, Jason had been listless. His studies had once again been cut short, due to his inability to focus, and Lois knew that Dr. Klein needed to come in and have a look at him. When Clark stood up, she realized Jason was sound asleep. "Why don't you go put him in bed? I'll call Dr. Klein and see if she can't come by tomorrow to have a look at him."

After Clark had gone, Lois used the table to pull her very pregnant body up off the chair. She had to be careful not to bring the table teetering over on her, and in a moment she was on her feet. Lois moved to the other side of the kitchen, and picked the portable off the cradle hanging on the wall. She dialed Star Labs and left a message for Becky Klein to give her a call. Once the phone was back in the cradle, Lois headed up stairs to take Clark up on his offer to give her a massage.

* * *

Much later, after a nap, her back didn't feel nearly as bad. Lois woke up to an empty room and eased herself up into sitting position. She glanced at her clock, groaning when she saw seven o'clock flashing in front of her. "I can't believe he let me sleep for three hours," she mumbled, as she slipped her legs over the side of the bed. Even though she knew she needed the rest, Lois had wanted Clark to have the chance to go down to the courthouse.

Once she had pulled on a bathrobe, Lois headed down the hall, and that was when she heard Jason's coughing. As she rushed to the door, Clark was coming up the steps, and behind him was Dr. Klein. Lois gave her husband a questioning look before she opened the door.

"I called her a little after you took a nap," Clark offered, as he followed his wife to their son's bed. Jason's room was lit by the Christmas lights which still hung on the border of his walls, and when Lois sat down and gently sat him up she felt warmth radiating through the thick material of his pajamas.

"I don't want to be sick again," Jason mumbled, a moment before he started to cry.

Lois held him as close as she could while Dr. Klein pulled a stethoscope out of her bag. When the doctor touched his back he cried harder, and clung to her as tight as he could.

"I can listen this way," Becky said over Jason's tired cries.

Lois looked past Dr. Klein, as Clark came over to them and when he sat next to her, Lois leaned against him and shut her eyes. They had been able to keep Jason's illness in a sort of remission and she hoped that this was something minor.

When Becky indicated that she needed Jason's pajamas to be unzipped, Lois rubbed her hand over his back. "Shh, Jason listen to me," Lois crooned as he continued to cling to her. His cries lessened but didn't stop, and she tried to explain to him how Becky needed to hear his breathing without his clothing in the way.

That only upset him more, and a moment later, Jason was in his father's strong arms. Lois felt helpless as her husband whispered something in Jason's ear. A moment later as his small hands shook; Jason pulled the zipper on his feeted pajamas down and pressed his face against Clark's chest while taking in some deep breaths. Once Becky had finished her initial exam, Jason was able to zip his pajamas back up, but still kept his face hidden. Lois watched as the doctor wrote something down on Jason's chart and could tell that what ever the news was, it wasn't good. When Becky signaled for her to follow, Lois stood up and went out of her son's room.

"There was a great deal of crackling in his lungs when he breathed in. I want to draw some blood, and we need to get him to Star Labs for an X-ray, but I'm fairly certain that the pneumonia is back."

All Lois could do, was to nod her head. She felt suddenly numb, and tried not to think about the last time Jason had pneumonia.

* * *

By the time Clark pulled the car into the side parking lot beside Star Labs, Jason had fallen asleep in his booster seat. Their little boy had put up a fight when Dr. Klein tried to draw his blood, and Lois had not had an easy time keeping her own emotions in check as Clark held him still.

Thanks to Bruce Wayne, Star Labs had everything they needed in the event that Jason needed to be hospitalized. A whole section of the building had been set up for that, and for the eventuality of the baby being born. Lois held her husband's hand as she kept her other hand pressed over her protruding belly. Being outside in the cold air ordinarily would have been welcome, but with Jason facing another bout of pneumonia, Lois couldn't find anything enjoyable about any of it.

Becky led them into the building using her pass and was greeted by her husband Bernie. He led them into their section of Star Labs, and they met the radiologist that Bruce had hired, along with the other nurses and a few doctors who were ready to assist.

Jason stirred in his father's arms as the adults talked, and Lois reached out and put her hand on his back as he lifted his head away from Clark's shoulder. "You're safe, baby, they just need to take a picture of your chest," Lois told her little boy.

"I want to go home after that," Jason whispered, as he rested his cheek back against Clark's shoulder.

When it was time for the X-rays, Jason didn't make a sound as Lois helped him put a hospital gown on. He began to shiver, and once he was resting on the table, Becky put a warm blanket over his legs. "Daddy and I will be right out there, and we will come in and hold you once this is all done." Lois leaned over her son and placed kiss on both of his cheeks. Once Clark had done the same, she grasped at his left and held on tight as they walked into the hall way. "Why is this happening now?"

There weren't any easy answers, and he knew Lois was aware of that "I'm not sure."

It seemed like hours before they were allowed to go back to their son, and after Jason was dressed in his pajamas, Clark carried him down the hall. Lois walked behind them trying to ignore the feeling of dread which was creeping into her mind. Jason would be all right. He was a strong little boy and this was nothing more than a cold.

As she and Clark sat in a small room, while Jason slept in her husband's arms, Lois tried to convince herself that they would be taking Jason home, and that tomorrow when he woke up he would be ready to pretend he was a dragon. She managed to keep that in mind even as both Dr. Klein and her husband entered the room. They both wore a grim expression on their faces, and Lois reached out and held Clark's hand again as they told them the grave news.

"Jason's right lung is filled with fluid, which is the likely cause of his high fever. Since this has all come on over the past week, and from what you have told me about his symptoms I'm certain that this is bacterial. I want to go on and start him on intravenous antibiotics to see if we can't get his fever to go down."

Becky finished filling out Jason's chart before she answered Lois's question. "Hopefully by morning he will start to improve enough for you and Clark to take him home."

Lois walked beside her husband as they were led to another room, this one a bit larger with a hospital bed and an IV stand already in place. She let go of Clark's hand as a nurse entered the room, and had to turn away in order to prepare herself for the unpleasant task of watching her son get stuck with an IV needle. When she was ready, Lois moved over to the bed where Clark was sitting, and ran her fingers through Jason's hair. He stirred as his sleeve was pushed up, and cried when the needle was put into the vein on the flip side of his elbow. "Shh, it's all over baby," Lois crooned once the IV had been taped into place.

"I want you to hold me," Jason whispered as Clark wiped away his tears.

Being thirty weeks into her pregnancy, Lois didn't have much lap space. She walked to the other side of the bed and sat down. Once she had slipped her shoes off, Lois leaned back against the pillows and reached out for her little boy.

"Mommy, why do I have to be sick?"

Jason asked this frequently and Lois knew, and was in part grateful, that he was still young enough not to understand what was happening. Jason knew that the 'bad man' had made him sick, but Lois was relatively sure he didn't understand what that entailed and dreaded the day when he would be old enough to ask them why Luthor had made him sick. As Jason drifted to sleep, Clark got up from the chair he had been sitting in, and Lois watched him as he came over to her side of the small bed.

"I'm going to call Mom and Ben," he said.

Lois nodded her head as she pulled Jason a little closer, placing a kiss on top of his head. As Clark left the room, she tried not to feel guilty. Martha and Ben had already done so much for them, and if she didn't think her parents would drive the sanity from her, Lois would ask them to come and lend a hand. She shut her eyes and was soon asleep while Jason rested safely in her arms.

* * *

The next morning Jason's fever was down, but it was not gone. He had slept fitfully over night, and Clark knew that his wife wanted to get their little boy home. He had phoned his mom, and she and Ben would be booking a flight for later on in the day. When Clark had offered to come get them, Martha refused to let him do that, reminding him that it was more important for him to stay with Lois and Jason. Clark had managed to spend most of the night with them, only leaving them in the few instances where an emergency to great for any human warranted his help.

Jason was still asleep in his bed, and his breathing was labored. Clark turned from the window he had been looking out of a moment before Lois came back in the room. She still had on her clothes from last evening, and there were dark circles under her eyes. Clark walked to her and when he held out his arms she came willingly into his embrace. "What did Dr. Sanderson say?"

"She wants to come by the house, or here depending on whether or not they let us take Jason home."

Clark heard her voice catch and held her closer. He knew how stressful this was, and that worried him. So far Lois had managed to carry their baby this long, but if they didn't find Luthor, and Jason got worse, Clark wasn't sure how much she would be able to take. That was part of the reason Dr. Sanderson was coming by for a visit, to see how their baby was holding up. Lois was still at risk for early delivery due to complications earlier in her pregnancy. There was also her pregnancy with Jason and his premature birth which factored into their worries now. "We'll get through this," Clark said.

"I know we will, but I can't help but worry. What if he gets worse and he can't wait ten weeks for this baby to be born. How do we handle that?" Lois pulled away from him, and Clark watched as she began to pace. What he wanted to do was find Luthor and make him pay, but he knew that Lois had a point. If he did what he wanted…Clark shook his head. He was not sent here to be an executioner, but Luthor would pay for what he had done. He was about to say something when Jason began to cough. Both of them were at his side in a second as he woke up and began to cry.

"My chest hurts," said Jason in a raspy voice.

Clark glanced at Lois across the bed from where he stood, and looked back at his son. "Shh, just try and rest," he said, not sure what else to tell his son.

After Jason shut his eyes, Clark watched as Lois began to pace again. She had her left hand against the small of her back, and it was obvious that she was in pain again. "Lois," he said in a deep gentle tone. He walked over to her and placed the palm of his hand against her back. Clark applied gentle pressure, and heard Lois breathe out a sigh as the tension against his hand began to melt away.

"I don't know what to do here Clark," Lois admitted as she turned around to face him. "I'm so used to going out to find the answers, but there aren't any here. I know I can't worry so much. Our children will get through this. Lois sighed before adding, "I know I said that I didn't want to have this baby, but now I do. I've gotten used to this little one kicking me and I want to see him or her healthy and happy." Lois reached her hand out and placed it on her belly for emphasis.

Clark reached out and placed his hand over hers. "We will get them through this Lois. The most important thing for both of us to do, is to take each day as it comes, and try not to worry too much about what the next day will bring." He knew that would be easier said than done, but for the sake of their unborn child, Clark was well aware that he needed to try and get Lois focused one something else. He was about to say something more when Dr. Klein came into the room.

"I will release him to go home, but you have to keep him in bed. I will also send you home with oxygen, and I want you to do his nebulizer treatments two times daily. I would also advise having one of the nurses go with you to the house, in case there is a medical emergency."

Clark felt Lois tense in his arms. He was well aware that everyone in this wing had been hand selected by Bruce, but the fear that someone could get back to his enemy, or hurt Jason and Lois was great. "I," he started to say, but Lois interrupted him.

"I want them blind folded or hidden in some way so they won't know how to get there or back. I know that sounds paranoid, but I just can't," she said as her voice broke again.

Becky walked over to Lois and put a hand on hers. "I understand your concerns, and what every you and Clark decide will be what we follow," she offered.

The tension in Lois's body eased away, and Clark wrapped his arms around her as she nodded her head.

* * *

A little after lunch Jason was safe at home. While Lois had a much needed nap, Clark was in Jason's bathroom kneeling by the bath tub as he supported Jason's back with his right hand. The nurse was setting up the things they would need in his room. His son was so weak that he could barely sit up and had no interest in playing with any of the toys which broke Clark's heart. "All done," he said as he reached over and got the towel. He helped Jason stand up, lifting him from the tub to stand on the bath mat he had just been kneeling on before he pulled the towel around his body.

"I'm very tired," Jason whispered, as he fought to keep his eyes open.

Clark lifted his little boy into his arms, and carried him down the hall to his room. The nurse, a woman named Anna Lucas, was not there, and Clark was glad for that. He knew Jason would be upset enough when he found out he was going to have another IV stuck in his arm, though Clark halfway hoped his son would go to sleep and wouldn't notice. As he began to dry Jason off, Lois entered the room and he saw the look of concern in her eyes.

"I was listening to the radio, when they cut in. There has been quake in Thailand, and officials there are worried that it will trigger a tsunami."

Lois looked exhausted, and he was reluctant to leave her to handle things with Jason, but he also knew that if he didn't go, thousands of people would die if that should take place. He waited for her to sit down before he moved from behind Jason and held on to their son until she was ready. "I don't know how long I will be. "Lois I don't have to go. I can…" But she cut him off with a shake of her head, as she began to finish drying Jason off.

"You don't have a choice, and I can take care of things for a while. Will you go to his closet and get his warm pajamas off of the hanger?"

Clark did that much, and leaned in giving both his wife and his son a kiss before he left the room to take care of his other responsibilities. In less than a second he was dressed in his suit, and in a few more he was down in the basement releasing the latch to open the door leading to the tunnel.

As he flew through the tunnel, his mind went back to this life he had created for his family. The world didn't slow down simply because he was a father, and husband. In fact it seemed to move by at neck breaking speed at times.

Superman reached the end of the twenty mile tunnel in two minutes time. After turning off the alarms and releasing the latch to open the door, he hit a green button and waited as the space in front of him lit up with the light from outside. A gust of frigid air blew against his face, though it didn't affect him. Once the door slid back into place and the alarm had been reset, Superman launched into the air and headed to the east, flying at top speeds as he focused his attention on the task at hand.

* * *

With a gentle touch of her hand, Lois wiped the remaining tears from her sleeping child's face. Jason had done his best to keep Anna from putting another IV in. It took all of Lois's strength not to cry with him as she held her son still so that the needle could be inserted. Jason had cried for a solid hour before he finally fell into a much needed sleep and now Lois felt tired and drained as she rested next to him. Reaching over Jason with her left hand, Lois lifted the remote off of his bedside table and winced as her back began to knot up in pain. She took in a deep breath and let it out as she leaned back against the pillow she had placed behind her and turned the TV on trying to ignore the throbbing pain she was now feeling.

"_The underwater quake we reported two hours ago did indeed cause a tsunami, but Superman was there to save the day. However, even with his help there was still tremendous damage done. There have been no reports of any lives lost, but it will be a long time before any of the people in the area will be able to return to their homes."_

Lois watched the news for a bit longer before she turned the TV back off. Her back was still hurting, and she sighed as she sat up, moving her hand behind her back to try and rub away some of the pain. She listened and groaned quietly as she heard the phone start to ring. For a moment Lois shut her eyes, taking in a deep breath before she slipped her legs over the edge of Jason's double bed and stood up. Again her back throbbed with pain and Lois felt like an old woman as she made her way down the hall to her room. The phone had stopped ringing but started again. "I'm coming," she muttered as she made it to her side of the bed. "Hello," she said, as she picked up the landline which was a secure connection.

"Oh thank goodness," she heard her mom say.

Lois sighed as she plopped down on the edge of the bed. "Hello Mom," she answered trying not to sound annoyed. At Clark's urging, she had left a message with her parents letting them know about Jason.

"How is Jason?" Ella asked. Lois could hear the worry in her voice, and knew that her mother was concerned, but she was tired and all she wanted to do now was to take a hot shower, then have a much needed nap.

"He's home. Mom I know you want to hear about how he is doing, but I am tired and I would like to have a nap. Can I call you back?" Lois heard the disappointment in her voice, as her mother agreed to let her do that and felt guilty, but her back was killing her and she had to find some way to alleviate the pain. Once she hung up the phone, Lois pushed off the bed and as she stood up she felt a rush of fluid run down her legs. She looked down at the wet floor in front of her and realized in stunned disbelief that she was in labor.

* * *

AN: Thanks to all of those who have read my story thus far. Please leave a review. I even have it open for anonomous reviews. Thanks goes to Beatrice Otter for the Beta.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 35: Birth**

She sure how long she had stood there staring down at her wet feet. Lois was reasonably certain she would have continued standing beside her bed, had it not been for another shot of pain running through her belly. Holding her stomach with both hands, she tried to remember some of those breathing exercises from when she had Jason. She and Clark had planned on taking child birth classes starting next week, but now they were in for a crash course. The deep breaths she was taking helped to ease some of the discomfort, and when it ended she began to think about what she needed to do. The first was getting out of her wet clothes. As she waddled over to the dresser she glanced back at the bed at her cell phone and knew she would need to phone the doctor, and contact Clark. Lois looked at the bracelet lying on the dresser and picked it up. She knew that all she needed to do was to place it around her wrist, and he would come, but she also knew that the people facing the threat of the tsunami needed him more. Labor could take hours, and as selfless as her first thoughts had been she began to think about facing birth without Clark. Lois turned the bracelet over in her hands as she tried to think of the best course of action. Finally she put it back down on the dresser and decided for now she needed to finish changing out of her wet clothes

Once she had changed into a dry pair of panties, with a liner in place, and dry sweat pants, Lois went to her bed and made the first call. "Yes this is Lois Lane. I need to get a hold of Doctor. Sanderson….My water just broke….Only one contraction." Lois shut her eyes and sighed as the answering service asked her questions. She knew it was part of their job to gather the information for her doctor, but what she wanted now was to talk to Doctor Sanderson and find out what she needed to be doing. Finally the questions ended, and the nurse told her that that she would be getting a call shortly. After hanging up, Lois realized how tired she was and decided to rest in bed while waiting for the call. It wasn't easy but Lois managed to lie down in her bed and as she began to shut her eyes someone knocked at the door. "Come in."

Jason's nurse entered the room, and it was evident from her expression that she realized what was going on. "Do you need me to get you anything?"

What Lois wanted to tell her was to get her husband, and again her thoughts drifted to the bracelet. At the moment everything was under control and there was no need in her mind to pull him away just yet. "For now I need you to look after Jason. I don't want him to know about this, not yet anyway. If you don't mind, check back with me in a few minutes, I may need you to take us to Star Labs."

Anna nodded; looking concerned, but went out of the room anyway.

Once she was gone, Lois looked at the clock. It was a little past eight, and Clark had been gone for over an hour. She grabbed the remote and decided to turn on the TV which her husband had put in their room earlier in the month. She flipped through the channels and came to LNN, where a reporter was talking about the Tsunami which had been diverted thanks to Superman. Even though her husband had managed to keep the wave at bay, there had been a lot of damage from rains which had been falling in that region for a few weeks. The reporter talked about the efforts by Superman and the military to help the people move to higher ground, but there were no eye witness accounts of the events taking place in that part of the world.

Just as she had begun to drift off, the phone rang, and at the same time another contraction presented itself. Lois grabbed the phone and opened it, managed a "hello" as she bit back a sob. This contraction was more intense than the last one had been, and Lois found it hard to hang on to the phone.

"Lois, this is Dr. Sanderson."

"Contraction," Lois managed.

Lydia Sanderson talked her through the pain, instructing her to breathe in deeply and breathe out through her nose. When the discomfort subsided, Lydia asked, "How many contractions does this make?"

"Just two, but they feel strong. I can't remember too much from when I had Jason." Lois remembered giving birth to him, and how fast the medical staff had taken him away due to his early arrival, but the pain of labor was something she couldn't remember because of the stress of him being born so early.

"Is Anna with you?"

"Yes. Do you need us to head to Star Labs?"

"I think that would be best. If your water has already broken we need to monitor you and the baby. If you need anymore help, you let me know."

"I think we can manage," Lois said. Once the call was over with, Lois turned off the TV, and forgot about the bracelet as she got up and started to get her things gathered up, before she saw a brown duffle bag by the bedroom door. Lois walked over and with great effort squatted down. When she unzipped it, she smiled as she realized that Clark had already packed for her. After standing back up using the dresser to pull up on, Lois headed down the hall to talk to Anna and get Jason ready for the trip.

* * *

Seated in the back of the car, Lois stretched her arm out so that she could hold Jason's hand. He was exhausted and had fought leaving the house again, but Anna had managed to coax him out of his bad mood long enough to get him buckled into his booster seat. There had only been one other mild contraction, and Lois was grateful. She wanted the baby to be born in a facility where people would know how to take care of his or her needs.

"How are you doing back there?" Anna asked.

"So far so good," Lois said, trying not to sound worried. She felt guilty for not letting Clark know that she was in labor, and she wondered how aggravated he would be once he realized that she hadn't worn her bracelet. As she thought about that, Lois began to bite her thumb nail. She had amazed herself at how calm and level headed she had been so far, but her bravado was beginning to fail. _What if something kept Clark away, or what if they had to perform a C-section to get the baby out before Clark arrived_?

Her phone vibrating against her hip drew her away from her worrisome thoughts. As Lois flipped open the phone she saw the name B.W. and quick put the devise to her ear. "Hello Bruce."

"Lois, I'm getting ready to contact Clark. Are you on route to Star Labs?"

"Yes, everything is under control for now. His parents were supposed to fly in tomorrow and I'll need someone there for Jason."

"Don't worry about any of that. The important thing to focus on now is you and that baby. I'll take care of the rest."

As she hung up, Lois took in a deep breath and let it out. She was glad they had Bruce on their side. He had already done so much for them, and she wished there was more she and Clark could do to return the favor. Lois had just begun to relax when she felt her belly tightening up with another contraction. Carefully she drew her hand away from Jason's and shut her eyes. This felt like a nightmare and she wished she could wake up and find that she was at home with Clark. Her left hand rubbed over her belly as she focused on her breathing, and she said a silent prayer wanting this little one to arrive healthy and safe.

"Mommy?"

"Shh," Lois managed as she reached out again and took her little boy's hand. The last thing she wanted to do was worry him, and already there was a sound of panic in his weak voice.

"I want my daddy."

"I know angel, I want him here too."

The contraction was subsiding, much to Lois's relief, and when she turned toward Jason she saw tears moving slowly down his fevered cheeks. "I'm here baby, I won't leave you," Lois crooned wanting to hold him.

"My chest hurts."

Lois let go of his hand momentarily to wipe his tears away. As she took hold of his hand again, he was quiet, and soon fell asleep with his head pressed up against the side of the door.

When they pulled up to the gates leading into Star Labs, Lois was hoping to see some sign of her husband, but when she didn't her heart began to beat painfully in her chest. _Why can't having babies be easy, _Lois thought as the gates opened and Anna drove the car into the safe parameter of the complex.

Jason coughed, and Lois looked over at him as he continued to sleep. Lois was well aware that Clark might not get to witness this birth, because their son would need him more. Even though she knew Jason had to come first, it was difficult for her to imagine giving birth once again without Clark by her side.

As the car came to a stop at the back entry of the large building, Lois looked out her window and watched the door open. Dr. Sanderson was there along with a few other nurses, but her husband was not. "Jason," Lois said as she turned to face him. He was still asleep, and she didn't want to wake him, but she also didn't want him to awaken in the arms of someone he didn't know.

Gently, Lois reached out and rubbed Jason's shoulder in an effort to wake him. She wasn't aware that her husband had landed beside the car until she felt his strong hand brush lightly against her cheek. Suddenly all of the worry and guilt she had pint up over the past couple of hours flooded out, and Lois felt it difficult not to break down and cry. "I should have worn the bracelet so you would know," she managed.

"Shh. I'm here now and we are going to get through this together."

"Daddy," Jason whispered.

Lois looked over at her son, and smiled as Clark walked to the other side of the car. While he was opening the door to get Jason out, she felt her stomach tighten and took in a deep breath. Reaching in front of her, Lois grasped part of the seat in front of her and drew in another deep breath. She heard Jason's panicked voice, but couldn't do anything to sooth him.

"Lois, focus on your breathing," Doctor. Sanderson told her.

It was difficult to focus on anything other than the tightness in her tummy and the pain that brought. Lois breathed through the contraction and sighed with relief when she felt it subsiding. When she opened her eyes again Clark was standing beside her, and Jason was not in his arms. "Where is Jason?"

"My Mom has him. They are inside."

Lois wanted to ask him more, but she felt her stomach starting to tighten again. "Clark," she gasped out as he took her hand. Lois heard Lydia Sanderson tell him that they needed to get her inside, but the pain she was feeling was nearly overwhelming. Lois focused on Clark's hand holding her own, as she took in a deep breath and let it out. Again the pain subsided, and when she was ready her husband helped her to her feet and over to a nurse waiting with a wheel chair.

* * *

His wife's room was just like any room at a hospital. There was a bed, along with equipment he had never seen before. Dr. Sanderson had explained to him what each one did, and he had to marvel at that sort of technology. There was a devise wrapped around Lois's stomach which monitored her contractions and another devise that monitored the baby's heart beats. The last time anyone had been in to check on them, she had been at four centimeters.

Clark turned toward the door as his mother stepped into the room. "Jason is asking for you."

"Will you stay here?" Clark was glad that he had gone to get her and Ben before coming back to Metropolis. In hind sight he should have done that in the first place.

"I will be happy to."

Having his mom here was a godsend and Clark hugged her close. "Thank you for coming."

"You don't have to thank me," Martha said.

Clark gave her a kiss on the cheek and one more hug before he left for his son's room.

It was a short walk to the room where Jason was staying and he found his son very much awake with tears on his face. There had been far too many tears for Jason, and Clark was ready for happier times. He walked over to the bed and gently lifted him into his arms. "Shh," he whispered as his son clung to him.

"I want mommy," he sobbed.

Clark looked behind him and moved two steps back to sit down in a cushioned chair. "I know you do. Mommy is sleeping right now." He heard his son sniff, and rubbed his hand over Jason's back.

"Mommy knows how to make me feel better," Jason whispered as he yawned at the same time.

"She is good at making both of us feel better," Clark agreed as Jason lifted his head. Father and son looked at one another before Clark kissed Jason's fevered cheeks.

Jason's gaze was one of curiosity and it reminded Clark of Lois the time long ago when she had first figured out his secret. Then she had shown him Superman's picture in the paper, one that she had drawn over to make him have a suit and top hat. Her curious look then was now mirrored on Jason's small face.

"But you don't get sick," he pointed out.

"No, but sometimes I hurt."

"Like with the green rocks. Those made you hurt, but me and Mommy came and saw you, and we gave you kisses. Did you know we were there Daddy?" Jason coughed, and yawned again.

"I thought you were," he admitted, as his son began to wheeze. It was time to get him settled back in his bed. Clark stood up and turned to the bed leaning over as he put his son down against the soft mattress. He helped Jason fit the oxygen prongs on his nose and gave him another kiss. Already Jason's eyes were growing heavy and as Clark sat back down and began running his fingers lightly over Jason's hair, his little boy shut his eyes.

Ben entered the room and Clark stood up as he heard Lois asking for him. Glancing at Jason, Clark was torn between staying with his son and going in to be with Lois.

"I will come get you if he gets upset again."

"Thank you."

* * *

When he arrived back at Lois's room, he found his wife on her feet. "Lois?" His mother was standing with her, and Clark went to them.

"The baby is still pretty high up in the birth canal. They said that walking might speed things along," Lois explained.

Clark took her hand and the two of them left the room.

"How is Jason?" she asked, as they walked slowly toward where their son was sleeping.

"He was upset about not getting to be with you, but I helped him calm down. He is still asleep,"

They walked into Jason's hospital room and Lois kissed him, without waking him, before they moved on.

For the next hour they walked up and down the hallway talking about what they wanted to name the baby. So far they couldn't agree on anything. Lois had suggested naming the baby after Martha if it was a girl, but he thought two Marthas would be confusing. Clark suggested naming the baby after her sister, but again there was the issue of having two people with the same name in the family.

"So what if we have a boy?" asked Clark a moment before Lois stopped. He came around to face her and held on to her as she leaned her head against him and wrapped her arms around his back. This made the third contraction in the past twenty minutes, and Clark could tell by the tension he was feeling in her back that the contractions were growing stronger. When it passed, Lois lifted her head away from him.

"Jonathan," she said.

For a moment Clark wasn't sure what she meant, but then he remembered his question, and gave her a goofy grin. "I like that idea. Are you ready to go back to your room?"

"Yeah, that one was pretty strong."

As they arrived by her bed, Lois gasped, and Clark had her back in his arms in a second. "Just breathe," he said, as Doctor Sanderson and her two nurses came into the room.

Lois cried out in pain, and Clark felt helpless. He wanted to do more than just hold her, but knew that his touch and his voice to sooth her was all he could offer.

"Lois, do you feel like you need to push?"

Her head shook back and forth, and Clark could tell she was afraid. "Lois, I'm right here. I won't go anywhere this time," he said wondering how she dealt with this the last time. They had talked about Jason's birth, but he could tell that there was a great deal she had not said, and he had never pressed her.

"It hurts," she said gasping for a breath of air as he felt her arms tighten around him. Her forehead was still against his chest and Clark knew that he needed to get her back in bed. Finally, after what seemed like hours instead of minutes, Clark felt Lois gain back some control. He had whispered to her, saying anything he could think of to help her through this, and was relieved when her pain ended.

Once she was back in bed, Doctor Sanderson measured her cervix and looked up at both of them. "She is fully dilated, and completely aphased."

"I need something for the pain," Lois said, panic evident in her voice.

"I'm sorry, but you have moved past that time. Lois, do you remember what you need to do?" asked the doctor.

Both of them got a quick explanation of what would happen. Clark's part was to pull back her left leg while supporting her back as she sat up to push. Lois's job was to focus on breathing and push. It sounded simple but two and a half hours later Lois was exhausted, and very emotional, and Clark again felt helpless.

"Lois, I need you to push hard on this next contraction."

"I can't do this," Lois cried out. She gasped and Clark helped her sit up. She pushed a little bit and he felt her push back against his hand.

His gaze fell on the doctor standing at the end of the bed and he knew she was worried. He knew from the fetal monitor and from his own hearing that the baby's heart rate was going down with each contraction. It was time for him to do more than just sit next to his wife. Right now Lois needed him to help her, and as he clenched his fists together and released them he made a decision. Toeing off his shoes, Clark had already made up his mind. "Lois I need you to try and sit up if you can." He helped her and when there was enough room he climbed into the bed behind her, moving his legs to rest on either side of her tired body.

The doctor and her nurses didn't seem to mind his change of position, and for a moment Clark wrapped his arms around his wife and hugged her close kissing the top of her head. "I know you are tired, and I can't imagine what this is like, but you need to push. You are the strongest woman I know. Use that strength now," he said. He felt her body tense and pushed his body forward moving her as well as he helped her pull her legs back.

"Good Lois. I need a few more good pushes like that," Doctor Sanderson called out.

"Lois the head is crowning. I need you to take in short breaths, and I don't want you to push, or you will tear."

His wife was shaking, and Clark tilted his head to the left, brushing her damp hair away from her face before placing a kiss on her cheek.

"I have to push," she called out.

"Not yet."

Lois cried out and Clark moved his hands to her belly, rubbing over that area as he told her how much he loved her.

"The head is out, go on and push."

Clark leaned forward and his eyes were drawn to what was happening at the end of the bed. He saw the baby's head and watched as with two pushes the tiny baby slipped out of her mother's protective body. Already she was gasping for air as Dr. Sanderson held her so that her body was tilted with her head down. The doctor suctioned out her mouth and her nose and wiped her face off with a blue cloth. Once the cord was cut their daughter was handed off to a nurse, who took her over to a small portable unit.

"How is she?" Lois asked. They had both seen that she was a girl, and before the doctor could answer they heard their daughter's first loud, cries.

A lump formed in his throat as he heard those cries and Clark held Lois closer, again kissing her cheek before she moved her head and their lips met. As they parted, the nurse who had been tending to their daughter returned, holding a tiny bundle in her arms.

"Would you like to hold your little girl?"

Lois nodded her head and in a moment Clark was looking over her shoulder at the face of the most beautiful baby he had ever seen.

His wife was already moving the blanket aside and he smiled as she gently held one of the baby's tiny hands, counting her fingers. Lois counted her toes before she seemed satisfied. "You are beautiful," he heard her say.

"She is beautiful, just like her Mother," Clark whispered as he slipped his left arm back around Lois. Their baby had fallen asleep, and all Clark wanted to do was stay in the moment.

All too soon it was time for the baby to go to the nursery that had been set up where she would be bathed and get a more thorough exam by Dr. Klein. When they had taken her away, Clark remained where he was. Lois had put her hand over her face and he knew she was fighting not to cry. "She seems healthy," he offered.

"I know, I don't like being away from her, and we need to figure out a name." Her voice was shaky both from sadness at having her baby taken away so soon and from the exhaustion of labor. "I was thinking about my mom's sister. She had a younger sister named Michaela Christine, who died when she was just four years old. I want to try and make things better between all of us, and I thought that name would be good for our baby."

"I think that would make your mom very happy." They kissed again before he got out of the bed. As Clark was putting his shoes, one of the nurses came in.

"Mrs. Kent, there is a small bathroom just outside of your room. If you are ready you can go and have a shower."

Clark reached out ready to help Lois out of the bed but she was shaking her head.

"Go check on Jason." It was then that he remembered that another important aspect of this birth was the life saving blood Jason would receive from his sister's umbilical cord. Clark gave his wife another kiss before he headed in that direction.

* * *

Morning arrived bringing the end to a long, eventful night. Jason had received Michaela's cord blood and two hours ago his fever had spiked causing him to go into a seizure. The nurses and Dr. Klein had gotten it under control, but now he was in a coma.

Standing next to Jason's bed, Clark watched him. He stood still listening to Jason's heart beat and he was frowning Lois had been given a sedative to help her sleep, and he had been making rounds to her room, the nursery and here all morning. Fox was due to arrive any minute, to try and find out why Jason had such a violent reaction to the transfusion, but Clark already had his own ideas.

"How is he?" his mom asked as she came in from checking on the baby.

"The same. How is Michaela?"

"They inserted the feeding tube; she's still having a difficult time breathing on her own, so they put the oxygen prong in her nose," His mother looked from him for a moment and her shoulders hunched forward. Her momentary silence told Clark how stressful this was on her though before he could respond she looked at him and her eyes focused on his own with determination and concern.

"Clark, why don't you go lie down for a while? I'll come get you if anything happens."

Her voice was gentle as she spoke and here eyes remained focused on him. Rest sounded good, but Clark knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. He also knew he needed to make his rounds as Superman, but right now he couldn't pull himself away from any of this. His mom left the room and Clark hung his head, shutting his eyes. Michaela's birth had been overshadowed by her brother's illness, and that brought his thoughts to the man responsible.

"It isn't your fault."

Clark sighed and looked up as Bruce Wayne walked into the room. "I need to find Luthor and put an end to the worry he has caused my family." Clark reached up and tried to push his glasses further up on his nose, only to realize that he hadn't been wearing them since Lois began to push their baby out into the world.

"I'm going to make a suggestion here, and you don't have to listen, but right now you need to get some sleep. I know you don't need much, but you can't let your guard down, and your wife and children are going to need you focused." Bruce spoke with authority in his voice. Under any other circumstance, Clark might have objected, but Bruce was right.

"Will you stay with him?" he asked, looking Bruce straight in the eyes.

Bruce nodded his head. "I won't move from this spot and I will send for you if something happens."

In a room placed between the one Lois and Jason were resting in, Clark Kent sat down on another bed and leaned back. He shut his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face taking in a deep breath. He focused on his heart beat and willed it to beat slower as his tired body began to relax. Clark found the three heart beats he wanted to hear and kept his hearing focused only on them as he drifted off into a much needed sleep.

* * *

**AN:** _Okay I fixed the three spelling mistakes that Jesse found, thanks for helping out. I edited and redid some of that and well didn't catch my typos. Update might be a while unfortnnantly I don't know if my tower is going to behave if not I'm looking at the purchase of another tower. At any rate keep the reviews coming, they help alot._


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter 10: The Power of the Sun**

The city was alive with activity, even at night. As Superman flew over Metropolis, arriving back from his short trip around the world, he focused on what was happening below him. It had been very difficult for him to keep going out night after night since the birth of his daughter, and Jason's lapse into a coma, but he knew that he had to keep up his appearances if for no other reason than to keep his family safe. A frown formed on his lips as he hovered high above the city and he mentally shook himself from that thought. He had been sent here to help humanity. "Never love one above the rest," he spoke to no one in particular. Even as those words drifted away, he knew they no longer held true for him. There were three people he loved more than the rest, three who he would die for if it came right down to it.

His super-hearing picked up on something and quickly he shot down out of the sky, landing on the rooftop of Star Labs without being seen. He walked briskly to the door, changing back into the slacks and shirt he had been wearing before he left. Clark Kent drifted down two flights of stairs and arrived at the nursery as things began to calm down. He pushed the door open and found Doctor Klein jotting down notes in Michaela's files. Looking past her, Clark saw that his daughter had a tiny cloth mask over her eyes, and a sort of light shining on her. "I heard a commotion," he said as the Doctor looked up at him.

"She forgot to breathe again, and her jaundice is serious enough that we decided to start photo therapy for her."

"Does Lois know?"

"I was about to go in and wake her, but I won't if you don't think that is a good idea."

"I will go to her in a little bit," he said. Once the doctor had gone out of the room, Clark walked up to the incubator. He knew that premature babies sometimes forgot to breathe from his talks with Lois about Jason, but the jaundice had been something he had not heard of until earlier that day. He opened a small door on the side of the incubator and reached in, placing his hand over top of her tiny head. She didn't move, and he could tell by her heart rate that she was asleep.

Clark shut his eyes for a moment, fighting off the guilt he suddenly felt at being away. He knew his presence didn't make a difference as to the problems Michaela was facing, but somehow he couldn't help but feel that leaving her made things worse.

"Clark?" Lois shuffled up beside him and Clark held out his arm gently pulling her to his left side. "She had another breathing episode," he said softly.

"And her jaundice has gotten worse. Jason went through the same thing and had photo therapy for three days before any of it started to clear up."

"I should have been here."

He felt Lois move from him and looked into her eyes, seeing her love for him and understanding there. "You have been here for them, for all of us."

"There must be more that I can do to help both of them. I have been thinking that the sun's energy is the key to their recovery." As he told her about his theory, he let his wife lead him away from the nursery, leaving Michaela under the care of one of the nurses. "It's easier with Jason. I can fly him up into the atmosphere where he can get the most direct rays of the sun. Michaela is too fragile for any of that, and with the past few days being overcast…" He sighed and looked down as they entered their room.

"We will think of something, Clark. I want to help you but I'm so tired."

Upon looking down at her face Clark noticed the dark circles under her eyes. He reached out and placed his hand on her left cheek and leaned in until his lips brushed against her own. "We can discuss this in the morning. I need to go out again," he said ruefully.

He walked with her to the bed and helped her get settled in. When she was, he leaned in and shared another kiss before he headed down the hall to check on their son.

* * *

Morning brought relief to both parents because Jason had woken up while Lois was giving him a sponge bath. He had just endured another examination, and was trying to catch his breath as Lois held him on her lap. "It's all over with now," she crooned as Clark came over with Jason's favorite stuffed animal. Jason reached out and took Lucky, holding him against his chest as he let his dad blot the tears away from his cheeks.

"I want to go to my house now," Jason whispered.

"Hopefully we will be able to go soon," replied Lois.

Suddenly Jason sat up and looked down at her stomach. "Mommy your belly is soft now," he said, worry evident in his voice.

"My belly is soft because your sister is here with us now. When you feel better we will take you to see her."

"But I want to see her now," he whined.

"May I come in?" asked a deep voice.

"Noo," Jason hid his face against her chest as Lucius Fox entered the room.

Fox walked over and stood beside Clark, waiting for Jason to calm down which he quickly did. "I came to tell all of you that the new cells in Jason's body are multiplying. Jason what that means to you, is that you won't have any more sickness."

"Not any at all?" Jason asked.

"Not any at all, but, I want you to get plenty of rest," Fox said as he knelt down next to them. "Rest is very important because your body is going to be very busy healing what the virus left behind."

"Like how my lungs are still hurty, because of my coughing?"

Lois smiled at her husband as Fox explained the situation to their son and was relieved to know that at least one of her babies would be healthy again.

When Fox left, Clark left with him, and Lois managed to get out of the chair holding Jason cradled to her chest. "Now you get some rest and while you do that I'm going to check in with your Nanna and Grandpa."

Her little boy rubbed his eyes, claiming that he wasn't tired but fell asleep before she managed to get her parents on the phone to tell them the good news.

* * *

Later that day, after they had explained to Jason about the baby, Clark held his son in his arms as they entered the nursery as a family. Michaela was under the photo therapy lamp again, and Clark felt Jason hug him around the neck just a bit tighter. "All of those tubes are helping her, just like they helped you," Clark whispered as he felt Lois take his free hand.

"She has a sleeping mask on her eyes."

Lois let go of his hand and took Jason's. "That is to protect her eyes from the lights."

"I want to go and play checkers with Granny again," Jason said turning his head away from the incubator. It was obvious by how tense his body had become that he was not comfortable, and while Lois remained in the room with their baby, Clark took Jason back to his room.

When they arrived, they found Martha seated on the sofa knitting something, and Ben was beside her reading the paper. "Granny, I want to play checkers now." Clark leaned over and put his son down, and was about to stand back up when Jason hugged him again.

"I don't like the baby being sick," he whispered.

With both of his arms wrapped around Jason's body, Clark stood back up seeing the worried look in his mom's eyes and Ben's. "I don't like her being sick either Jason, and I'm going to try and find a way to help her."

"Can we hold her when she is all better?"

He smiled at that thought. "When she is better we will hold her as much as we can. Now will you stay here and make sure your Granny and Pappa behave while I go talk to Mommy for a while?"

"Yes." Jason let him go and once Clark was sure he would be alright he headed back down the hall to tell Lois his idea.

* * *

"My daughter was born early, like her brother. I don't know if it is something that just happened or if it has something to do with both of them being part Kryptonian," Kal-El said to the image of his mother embedded in the crystal in front of him.

He had been debating coming here for some time, knowing that in the past his father had not been willing to give him any advice on his children. He didn't seem to agree with any of this, and that vexed Clark. After watching his daughter struggle to breathe when they tried to remove the ventilator the debate had ended. His mother seemed to have more understanding than his father, and Clark hoped and prayed that she would have an answer.

"I do not have the answers that you seek, my son, as to the cause of their early births." Clark hung his head as her words were spoken and felt his heart thud painfully in his chest as he thought about all that Michaela had already been through.

"The yellow sun will help your new daughter heal and grow strong enough to overcome all of the medical problems. Since she is too fragile to be moved, she must draw that energy from you. Your touch is what she needs Kal-El."

The answer had been there all along and Kal-El felt like an idiot for not figuring it out on his own. "Thank you for helping me, mother," he finally said.

As his father had once done, the figure of his mother came out of the crystal and walked up to him. She reached out and touched his cheek, but all he felt was a whisper of a true touch. "You have chosen a very difficult life, Kal-El, but I know of the love you feel for this woman. If it is like that love that I felt for your father then it is one to hold on to. You must not forget your obligation to your world, and I pray she will help you find balance."

Before he could speak, she disappeared and in another moment Kal-El was flying at top speed toward Metropolis and his family

* * *

Seated in the rocking chair placed very close to the incubator, Clark glanced at Lois before his eyes focused on Michaela. Nurse Judith had unwrapped her from her blanket and in a moment she was resting against his bare chest. Her tiny heart was beating fast again as Lois helped the nurse put a receiving blanket over her, and Clark had his doubts as one of her monitors began to beep. "Shh," he whispered, putting one of his hands over most of her body. He began to rock her and a minute later everything began to settle down again.

They had held her before but not skin to skin as he was doing now. "She's so tiny," Clark said looking back at his wife.

"I know. I didn't realize just how much until they put her on your chest. I think she likes having you hold her."

There was longing in her voice and Clark reached out and took her hand. "Maybe we will both have the chance to hold her as much as we want if this works out the way I hope it will."

Their family moment was interrupted as Judy came back to check on things. Clark shifted his hold on the baby so they young nurse could listen to her heartbeat, and take her temperature, both things that Michaela didn't seem to like as she began to squirm and make little grunting sounds.

"Her heartbeat is almost normal for a baby this small and her temperature is almost normal too. I'll go tell Doctor Klein."

Once she had finished, Clark adjusted the blanket back around his daughter's body and rubbed his free hand over her back.

* * *

Night time arrived and with it some trouble with Jason who was ready to go home. Lois and Martha had gotten him ready for bed, but when they time came for him to lie down and rest he had a meltdown. Lois knelt by his bed trying to explain to an overly tired boy why they had to stay here. "Jason, Daddy and I have to stay here with your sister and we don't want to be so far away from you or her."

"I want my bed," he sobbed as he huddled in on himself. An emergency had called Clark away and any other time Lois would have been able to crawl under the bed with her baby and get him out. Finally, she reached out and caught him under his arms and gently pulled him out holding on to him as he tried to struggle away.

Ben was behind her and when she was ready he helped her stand up and carry Jason to the sofa. Her baby was tired, and Lois knew he wanted to be away from the place where he was constantly poked and prodded. "Shh, shh, I have you baby," Lois whispered over and over until his cries finally gave way to sleep. There had to be a way, and Lois knew that Jason's unhappiness would grow the longer they remained here. Her head began to ache as she thought about how much work they had missed over the past few days, and how they would balance things out between work, Michaela's needs and Jason's.

"Would you like me to tuck him into bed?" Ben asked, drawing her thoughts back to the present.

"Yes, help me." He stood by her side and put one hand on her back pushing gently as he helped her stand up. He helped her walk over to the bed and supported her as she leaned forward to put Jason in his bed. Her son didn't utter a sound as she pulled a warm quilt over him.

"If you would like, and if Jason doesn't object, Martha and I could take him home in the morning."

Ben and Martha had been so supportive, and Lois knew he meant well but right now she couldn't think about that. "I think we should see how it goes after tonight. Will you sit with him while I get a few things from my room?"

"I would be happy to do that."

Lois gave him a quick hug before she left, her mind still awhirl with all the things they needed to do.

* * *

It was still early in the morning when Clark arrived at Jason's room finding his wife awake, finishing up another session with a breast pump. When she looked at him he instantly knew that something had happened while he was away from the worried look she gave him and how her hands shook as she tried to screw on the cap of one of the bottles.

He moved to her side and sat down taking the bottle from her as she almost dropped it. He put the lid on it and leaned back on the sofa bringing her with him. "What happened?"

"Jason wanted to go home, and had a meltdown when I told him we needed to stay here. We need to go back to work. I know that Perry has told us to take as much time as we need but how fair is that to the paper and everyone else for that matter?" Her voice had risen in pitch and she was shaking more.

Clark put both of his arms around her, holding her close as she did her best to regain control over her emotions. When she was calm he kissed the top of her head, shutting his eyes for a moment, to calm his own emotions. "Why don't we go home tomorrow, just for a couple of hours? My mom and Ben can stay there with Jason when we come back, and Michaela should be fine here with Doctor Klein and her staff." He didn't like the idea of leaving her alone, but it had become evident that they all needed to go home and try and figure out how to deal with all that life had dealt them.

"I hate leaving her here. We had to do that with Jason, but I was there everyday to hold him and talk to him."

She was quiet after that and once she was asleep, Clark got up and eased her body back against the sofa, propping a pillow under her head. He stood up and brushed some of her hair away from her face and just stood there watching her sleep. There were no regrets on his part for the decisions they had both made so long ago, and the choices they were facing now. The next few months would likely be hard on all of them, and there was still Luthor to consider, but they would find a way just as they always had done. Clark left the room, and headed for the nursery to spend time with his daughter, and to try and get some sleep of his own before the new day began.

* * *

With Jason asleep, cradled in his left arm, and his right arm around Lois, Clark led his family up the walk to the front of their house. A cold breeze was blowing, and Jason snuggled closer to him. It felt good to be home, but also different. Leaving Michaela had not been easy for any of them. Even Jason had been sad when they went out the car, but their reassurances had comforted him.

As they arrived on the front porch, the door opened and his mom smiled at them. "I have some breakfast waiting, and some decaf," Martha said.

"Coffee sounds great," Lois told her as they all walked into the house.

"I'm going to put him in bed." Clark reached out with his free arm and drew his wife into a much needed hug.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you, too." They kissed and he went upstairs finding Jason's room ready for him, and again Clark was thankful for his mom and Ben for helping out. After his son was settled in bed, Clark walked down the hall to his room finding Lois already there with a cup of coffee sitting on the bedside table and her sitting in bed with the laptop. "I thought we were going to relax," he teased.

"We are, but I wanted to check my email."

Lois winced as she continued to look at her computer and Clark frowned. He walked over to his side of the bed and sat down gently not wanting to jostle her. Once he had taken his shoes off and propped a pillow behind him he scooted next to her and waited. He couldn't make her rest and hoped that she would do that now that he was here.

"I forgot how much it hurts after you have a baby," she said as she shut her computer down and leaned against him. "There is too much to do to let it get in the way but I feel tired and grumpy,"

"Then why don't we rest for a while." He leaned back bringing her with him and smiled as she turned slightly and kissed him. Cuddled together, both of them drifted into a much needed rest until his hearing picked up Jason's footsteps just outside of their door and very quickly without waking Lois, Clark slipped out of bed and greeted their son right as he was about to knock.

"Was Mommy tired?" Jason whispered, looking past Clark at the bed.

"Yes, we were both tired. Are you hungry?" When Jason nodded his head, Clark picked him up and the two of them headed downstairs to see what good things Granny had cooked up.

* * *

It was so nice to be at home, even though her mind drifted back to Michaela. Lois had wanted nothing more than to get her and bring her home, and when it was time to go back to Star Labs for a visit later that day, she and Clark left a teary-eyed Jason at home with his grandparents.

"I hated leaving him," Lois muttered as they made their way down SR. 124 headed to Metropolis.

It was quiet, and they hadn't said a word for nearly five miles. When she said that, Clark reached out and took her hand and Lois drew comfort from that touch. "Maybe this won't last too long, us going back and forth like this."

"Richard and I spent nine weeks going from our house, to work, to the hospital and home again. It was so good to feel normal for a while."

They chitchatted about mundane things as they drove and when they finally arrived, Lois was anxious to see their baby and hoped that she would finally get to hold her again. As soon as they arrived inside the back entrance to the special ward set up, Anna greeted them. "We had some progress while you were gone, come see."

They followed her down the hall and when they arrived in the nursery, Michaela was resting on her tummy breathing on her own. Lois let go of her husband's hand and closed the small distance between herself and her daughter. "Is it possible for me to hold her?"

Judy smiled and nodded her head. Very quickly Lois took off her coat letting Clark take it, as she walked over to the sink where she washed her hands and arms, using a special sanitizer for both. When she got back to Michaela everything was ready. Lois sat down and unbuttoned the top few buttons of her blouse, and a moment later as Clark had done a few times now, she held her daughter against her chest as Judy put a blanket around her.

"So what do you think?" Clark asked once Judy had gone.

"I think I could get used to this," Lois said softly as she tilted her head down and placed a kiss atop her daughter's soft hair. "I love the way she smells." She looked up as her husband stepped closer, and lifted her head accepting his kiss before they parted and he gave one to their little angel.

Their time with their daughter lasted almost an hour, at which point they were able to give her a sponge bath and get her ready for bed. Tomorrow with any luck they could try feeding her, and Lois hoped that soon after that they would all be able to go home, and have life get back to normal.

* * *

**A.N. :** _Alright, I'm on a role, sort of. I know there have been longer periods between posting and likely there will be between this and the next chapter due to me having surgery in a few days. Fear not though this story is about to come to an end happy for all except for Luthor who will get his..evil grin Thanks to all of you who have stuck with me thus far, and you know what helps me keep going, so hit that nice little purple review button. Thanks also to **htbthomas** for her help this time around with the Beta reading. Hope you liked this.._


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter 37: Homecoming**

It was late when Lois pulled the car into the garage. The day had been hectic with work and her time with Michaela. As she turned off the car, Lois thought about Jason and felt a stab of guilt. She had meant to call here but had been too wrapped up with the baby to remember. After grabbing her purse and her other belongings, she got out of the car shivering as a gust of cold air blew in from outside. Quickly she made her way into the house, shutting the garage door on her way.

As she entered the kitchen pulling off her black wool dress scarf and her coat, Martha walked in from the hallway leading to the foyer. "I have a plate of leftovers in the refrigerator," said Martha.

It was nice to come home and not have to worry about making dinner, and as much as Lois wanted to eat, her need to go up and check in on her son was greater. "I'll try and eat later. Is Jason still awake?" she asked in a hopeful tone.

"He was five minutes ago. Have you heard from Clark?"

"No, but those oil fires and the damage they have done will have kept him busy. I don't think he will be back until later tonight." Even as she said those words, Lois still worried for her husband. She knew that Bruce's detector would warn him if he was in any sort of danger from kryptonite, but that threat still worried her. Giving Martha a small smile, Lois walked past her mother-in-law and made her way to her son's room.

When she arrived, the door was shut but she could hear him making car sounds and couldn't help but smile. "You need to be asleep, young man," Lois said as she entered his room.

"But I needed to wait for you and Daddy to come home," he answered as he let her take the two cars he had been playing with.

After putting them into his red box full of all sorts of Matchbox cars, Lois returned to his bed and sat down on the edge. "I'm sorry I didn't call you today."

Jason sighed and yawned at the same time. "Granny said that you had lots to do today. Mommy, when Michaela comes home, will you stay here with me and her?"

"I think so." Lois reached out and stroked her fingers through his hair for a moment. "Now you go to sleep, and I promise when Daddy gets home I will send him in here to give you a kiss."

"But I won't know that he has if I'm not awake," protested Jason as he yawned again.

"I promise that he will do that, and you will see him in the morning." Even though Lois said that she had her doubts, and shut her eyes knowing she shouldn't get his hopes up. Her tired brain wasn't as sharp as it was when she had the proper rest and after one more kiss and hug, Lois headed for her own room to shower and change into something more comfortable.

A half hour later, Lois was sitting in the den after a bite to eat. She was slowly winding down, though her mind was on her baby. Clark had already assured her he would stop by Star Labs to see their daughter before he came home, and they agreed that they needed to spend their nights here with Jason. In the three weeks since her birth, Michaela gained a pound a half putting her weight right at four and a half pounds. Her doctor was pleased and said that when she gained another pound she could come home. That time could not come soon enough for Lois, though she knew when Michaela arrived home, it would be an adjustment period just as it had been with Jason.

Her thoughts drifted to the most recent change in her life, which was her return to working a few hours a day at the Planet. Those few hours were all that Perry would allow. He had made it quite clear that he didn't want to see her back full time until the end of her maternity leave which she had three months of despite missing so much already. _It's not easy to have so much free time _Lois thought as she took a sip of decaf. She was used to being on the go, but was also prepared to focus on Michaela when that time came. Looking at the clock on the TV stand, the young reporter sighed and stood up getting her tray of empty plates to take to the kitchen. It was half past eleven and to her dismay she had been right; Clark would likely be home well after she was asleep.

* * *

A few minutes past midnight, Clark made it back from the Middle East where he had spent the day trying to put out several oil fires. It had been tedious work and sad as several hundred people had died, but it was done and now he was spending some time with his daughter who had just finished drinking a bottle of milk Lois had pumped for her. Michaela was resting on his chest sound asleep as he tried to coerce a burp from her. When she finally did, and Clark was sure she was dry and clean, he got up from the rocking chair and walked over to the bassinet where he transferred her from his chest to the soft mattress.

Michaela began to shift restlessly until he put his hand on her back, then she settled down to sleep and didn't notice when he finally took his leave. On the roof of the lab, in a blur of color, Clark changed into the suit and left for home, hoping that it wouldn't be long before their little lady was ready to join them.

A little later Clark arrived home, and was not surprised to find Lois still awake watching late night TV. He had already gone in and kissed Jason, spending time just watching him sleep. He hoped that tomorrow he would be able to spend more time with both of his children and his wife. "She's doing fine. I got her to take three ounces of formula, and she didn't spit up," he said as he quickly changed from the suit to a pair of long cotton pajama bottoms.

Lois had already turned of the TV and once Clark was in bed she snuggled into his arms resting her head against his chest. "How was your day?"

"Long. I tried to get some work done at the office but Perry and Jimmy kept reminding me that I'm still on leave." As she talked she yawned a couple of times, and it wasn't long before the woman he loved was asleep.

With his eyes closed and his mind focused, Clark reached out and found Jason's heartbeat. He concentrated a little more and within a few minutes Michaela's heartbeat along side his. Knowing that his family was safe, he drifted off into a much needed sleep.

It wasn't too long that when he felt a small hand on his arm which was draped half over Lois snuggled in his embrace. As he opened his eyes Jason started to speak but Clark shook his head. Carefully he moved his arm away from Lois, though as he shifted her to her pillow, she came awake, startled. "Shh, go back to sleep," he whispered.

This time his headstrong wife listened and after getting up and pulling a robe on over his pajama bottoms, Clark walked over to his son and picked him up. Jason was silent as they made the short journey to his room past the guest room where Martha and Ben were sleeping and past the bathroom.

"You didn't wake me up," Jason whispered as Clark sat down on the edge of his double bed.

"No, I didn't. You need your sleep. Do you remember what Fox told us?"

"I need to rest because my body is still healing, but…" Before his son could protest Clark pressed his finger gently to his lips.

"No buts, Jason. I should be here tomorrow when you wake up."

Jason was quiet but antsy, and after giving him a gentle hug Clark stood up and laid him down in his bed. "Go to sleep," said Clark expectantly.

"But I'm not tired," Jason whispered sadly.

It wasn't easy, but after another kiss Clark turned and left his son on his own. Jason's normal routine had been horribly disrupted since his illness, and on nights such as these, Clark had indulged him by staying there. Now it was time to try and get a new routine set, and hopefully before they brought the baby home.

Upon returning to his room, Clark found Lois waiting for him, and he climbed back into bed.

"Is Jason alright?"

"Yes, he was still awake when I came back here. I hate leaving him alone like that. He hasn't seen me all day but he needs to sleep and we can't start letting him stay with us," he said.

"You're right. Is he going back to sleep?"

For a moment Clark didn't answer her. "He's sniffing, but he also yawned a couple of times so I don't think it will take him long."

There was silence for a few minutes, and then Lois lifted her head and kissed his lips gently. "I missed you today."

"I missed you," he answered reaching out to cup her cheek. He lifted his head from the pillow and they shared a slow searching kiss before they settled back down to sleep. It would be a while before they could resume the more active part of their loving relationship, but Clark enjoyed this just as much.

* * *

Laughter greeted Martha as she walked downstairs after a good night's sleep. Ben was still snoozing because it was still early in the morning, though Martha knew he would be awake before too long. As she entered the den, she found the source of the laughter and smiled as she watched Clark crawling around on his knees with Jason on his back, acting like a cowboy on a horse.

"Hold on tight," Clark said as he began to crawl a little faster causing Jason to bounce a little more. When he came to a stop Clark lowered his body all the way to the ground with Jason protesting.

"Just a little more Daddy, that was a whole bunch of fun."

"I think you have worn your Daddy out, Jason," Martha said as both of them realized that she was there, or at least Jason. Knowing her son as she did, Martha surmised that he had been aware she was awake long before her arrival.

"Granny, Daddy doesn't get tired because he is Superman and the sun keeps him so he can have lots of energy," Jason explained as he got off of his father's back and ran to her.

Martha had just enough time to get down on her knees before Jason was in her arms giving her a big hug, one's she loved from him. "How did you get to be such a bright little boy?"

"I'm not a little boy anymore, I am a big brother so I can't be little," he said as the two of them headed into the kitchen with Clark following from behind.

Once Jason had his favorite breakfast cereal, Honey Graham Squares, something he could now eat due to the cord blood he had received from his sister; Martha fixed breakfast for Clark, getting her toast before she joined her son at the kitchen table. "Did Lois already leave? I thought I heard the garage door being opened and shut."

"Yes, Michaela wouldn't take the bottle again; I think she likes it better when Lois feeds her, which I hope is a good sign."

"Do you need Ben and me to cancel our outing today?"

"No, you have done so much for us and starting next week I'll be back at work full time, doing both jobs."

Martha nodded as she took a sip of her tea. "What about Michaela?"

Clark scratched his head as he set down his fork. "Once Lois starts nursing her full time she can't be away for too long, and if Michaela keeps fighting taking the bottle there isn't much we can do. Lois said that she made the mistake of quitting too early with Jason, so I guess we will play it by ear."

They talked for a while longer and once Ben joined them, Martha left to get ready for their outing.

* * *

It was Jason's idea to surprise Lois with lunch and when they arrived at the nursery, she was in the process of giving the baby a bath, something that Michaela clearly didn't like. Clark noticed that Jason stood at the door looking unsure. He still didn't know what to think when the baby put up a loud fuss, and once Clark took his coat of and draped it over one of the sofas, he went to his little boy. "She's okay, pal. Michaela doesn't like baths because they make her cold."

"I bet if you held her she would be happy again. You keep her warm." The two of them walked over to the sink and Clark found a towel ready when Lois lifted their tiny wailing daughter from the small tub. Quickly he had her wrapped in it, leaving his wife time to eat and spend time with their little boy.

Once Michaela was dried and dressed she had quit crying and was now trying to focus on him as he talked, softly telling her about the morning he spent with her big brother.

"She likes you to talk to her, Daddy," Jason said as he walked over followed by Lois.

At the sound of his voice, Michaela moved her head trying to find the new voice, something that made her brother smile. "I bet it's no fun when you have to stay here without us," Jason said as he reached out and touched one of her tiny hands. Michaela grasped his finger and Jason's smile grew wider. "She likes me," he said. He had held her plenty of times but she had always been asleep, or awake fussing.

"Would you like to hold her?" Lois asked.

"She cried the last time I tried that," Jason said as his smile faded.

"Yes, but she was hungry and mad the last time. I fed her right before you and Daddy arrived, so she should be good for a while."

Clark stood up and once they had put a pillow on Jason's lap to help him support her, Clark knelt down and carefully put the baby into his arms.

Jason started talking to her again and Michaela seemed to focus on him as he began to tell her about their house and about how much fun it would be to go home.

"I think they will be good friends," Lois said softly as Clark put his arm around her.

"I agree."

* * *

The next weekend, after one last check up by her doctor, Michaela was finally given a clean bill of health. She was still tiny but she wasn't having any more apnea, and had gotten the hang of nursing, wanting nothing more to do with bottles, which was another reason Doctor Klein was letting her go. Lois was spending more and more time at Star Labs and the young doctor understood her need to get home with all of her family.

In the back of their Avalon, Lois had her hand resting over Michaela's chest and felt on top of the world. It had been a long week and she was ready for any challenge that came so long as their family was finally whole. Jason had asked to stay home, wanting to help Granny get ready for his new sister's arrival. Thinking about him put another smile on her face. Jason was so excited about having her home, that he had begun helping with things without being asked. He was keeping his room picked up which he had always fought against until now, and would even help unload the dishwasher and put dishes away. Idly Lois wondered how long his help would last but wasn't worried.

"How is she doing?" Clark asked as he drove them toward home.

"Still out, which amazes me because she didn't nurse very long, and she's gotten pretty picky about having to wait for that."

"I think she made herself tired having that fuss while I got her dressed to go. She was not happy with me," Clark said his tone almost rueful.

Lois looked into the rearview mirror catching his gaze. "She gets mad at anyone who dares to get her cold." He smiled at her before focusing on the road again. It was very cold outside and sleet was falling down against the windshield making it hard to see even with the car as warm as it was. Clark used a low dose of heat vision on occasion to melt the ice that was starting to form. They still had a half hour to go, and the weather didn't seem to want to cooperate.

When they finally got home, Michaela had just begun to stir. Clark opened her door just as Jason came bounding out of the house into the garage which was sealed against the cold. Lois got out hugging her son as she let her husband tend to their little one.

"Mommy, guess what? Nanna and the Grandpa sent a package for me and Michaela but I want to wait until we can open them together."

Before she could answer, Michaela cried out as Clark got her out of her seat, distracting Lois from her son's earlier comment. "Is she wet?"

Clark chuckled as he stood up with the baby cradled in his arms. "Probably, why don't you spend time with our son and I'll take care of her." Lois could tell by the tone of his voice that he was as happy as she to have their little one home and was more than ready to start helping with her.

While Clark headed inside with Michaela who had begun to fuss more, Lois and Jason got her things from the back of the car, which really wasn't all that much. There was a diaper bag, her infant seat and a potted plant that her mom and dad had sent a few days after Michaela was born.

"Can we open the presents?" Jason asked as they entered the kitchen.

"Sure you can, but I need to feed her first," Lois said hearing Michaela's protesting cries coming from the den.

She laughed as Jason left her to deal with the plant and was glad that he wasn't as worried when his sister cried. Getting a good look at the plant, having not paid much attention to it while they were at Star Labs, Lois realized that it needed to be repotted and tried to remember if they had and potting soil and a bigger pot to put it in. As she tried to figure out where all of that was, she didn't see her husband come in and it wasn't until he was in front of her that Lois shut her eyes realizing that she had been daydreaming again. "The one thing I hate," she said as she paused for a kiss, "is how easy it is to forget," she continued, while hearing a renewed strength in their daughter's cries. "Sounds like I'm needed." They kissed one more time before going into the den where Martha was trying to calm their angel.

After making sure that Jason would stay in his bed, Lois left his room shaking her head. He did his best to prolong bedtime and she wondered what it would be like when she had both of her children playing that game. When she got back to her room, one she and Clark were now sharing with the baby, at least until Michaela's feedings spaced out, Lois found her husband sitting at the end of the bed watching their daughter in the bassinet her parents had sent them. It was a soft pastel yellow with frill around the edges, and a matching sheet set and blanket. "You didn't take my warning very seriously, Mr. Kent. I will guarantee you that we will get three hours of total sleep tonight."

"Hmm, but I only need a couple of hours," he reminded as Lois sat down next to him and leaned against his left arm. He pulled it away and wrapped it around her. "I'm glad to have all of us under one roof."

Lois sighed and shut her eyes. A full day at home with the baby, while wonderful, had also tired her out. She had forgotten how much nursing a baby took out of her, and was going to try and nap some tomorrow with her daughter. "Do you still want to try feeding her that bottle?"

"Only if you agree?"

"Remind me when she wakes us up in an hour." Lois stood up and leaned over the small bed kissing the back of her daughter's head. Their room was warm and since Michaela liked being on her tummy, they had dressed her in a warm sleeper and made sure there was nothing in the way that she could get up against. Lois knew all the warnings against putting a baby on their belly but Jason had been the same way, screaming until she or Richard would turn him over. Then he would go right to sleep. Soon after they figured that out he had begun sleeping four hours at a time and longer after another few weeks. Lois hoped it would be the same with this little one.

Only forty five minutes later, right as Lois was falling into a deeper sleep, she felt Clark move away from her. "Try the bottle," Lois mumbled hearing him laugh lightly as he moved to the end of their bed.

Clark had managed to keep Michaela quite while the bottle heated in the warmer and only had a little fuss from her before she began to drink from it. Sitting on the tan loveseat, Clark found that he couldn't take his eyes from the small baby settled in the crook of his left arm. It was times like these when his thoughts drifted to his son and all he had missed out with him. There was certain amount of regret that still plagued him from time to time, and at times the overwhelming wish that he could change all of that. Then he would look into his daughter's eyes and knew that he wouldn't change any of it. What had happened in the past would stay there, and all Clark could do now was be there for his family now and in the future. "What happened to getting sleep?" he asked without taking his eyes way from Michaela.

Lois sat down on his left side, leaning her head against his arm. "I couldn't go back to sleep, and how is it that she will take that bottle from you and not anyone else?"

"I don't know that I can answer that. She wasn't too happy with me when I first offered it."

Lois reached out and held one of her tiny sleeper clad feet. "I'm so glad she's home."

"I am too." Michaela went back to sleep before finishing the four ounces of milk and squeaked once before Lois had her settled against her left shoulder. Clark had wrapped his left arm around his wife and was enjoying this time with them even though it was getting late. Once the baby had burped, snuggling closer to Lois as she continued to sleep, the two of them went back to their room.

Clark waited while the woman he loved settled their little one on her bed and turned out the light once Lois was in his arms. Life couldn't get any better than this, and he was going to make sure that his family was kept safe. With that thought in mind, Clark drifted to sleep with a smile on his face as Lois snuggled closer to him with her head resting right below his neck.

* * *

**A.N.** _Well this is it for this story. I left Lex a free man for now and I promise they will deal with him soon, but I have another plot bunny itching to come to life so be looking for Jason and some of his adventures...I have to say thank you to everyone who has ever helped me beta these two stories along with the others. I'm glad that there are those of you that are good at weeding through the misplaced comma's and the other mistakes which I seem to make far to often, I'm trying to better, really, but at any rate thanks to all of you who have lent a hand.._


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